Trust
by scarlet79
Summary: Logan becomes friends with a little girl who not only shows him her mutant powers, but also teaches him about one of the greatest powers of all - trust. Please, enjoy and comment! Updated the rating to M for mild language, btw.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Logan opened his blue eyes, staring into the darkness of his room. He could feel someone sitting beside him on his bed, and when his eyes adjusted enough to see, he relaxed and lay back on his pillow.

"Hey, kiddo," he whispered, "have another nightmare?"

The girl who sat there sniffled, then nodded. "I wanna go home."

Logan sat up and wrapped his arms around her, feeling her tears soaking through his shirt. He rested his cheek on the top of her head, taking a deep sigh. He longed to go home, too. If he could just remember where home was.

"I know you do, Sonya. Right now, it's not safe for you to be home. But I promise, I'll keep you safe here."

"Really?" she sniffled.

"Really. Now," he said, shaking off a yawn and running a hand through his hair, "how 'bout I take you back downstairs to bed?"

"Why do you sleep up here, anyway?"

Logan flicked on the bedside lamp and pointed to the walls in the attic room. Each wall had at least six holes in it, in groups of three. Sonya stared at them, then at his hands, understanding at last.

"Oh," was all she said.

"Yeah."

She put her hand over one of his, carefully touching his knuckles. When she lifted her eyes to his, he was surprised to see admiration in them.

"I think you are beautiful, Logan," Sonya whispered, then reached up and kissed his cheek.

At first, Logan couldn't speak. Finally, he managed to reply, "Thank you, Sonya. I think you're beautiful, too."

She leaned back against his chest again, listening to his heart. Logan sat there, thinking about what she had said. Most people, mutants included, were afraid of him - or, more correctly - afraid of his claws and what they could do. But she had been brave enough to sit beside him in the dark, knowing that he often woke up in a rage. And here she still sat, her soft hand resting gently on his own rough one. _The look in her eyes_, Logan thought; _she trusts me. She trusts me, like she trusted the Professor._ Then he shook his head. _No, it wasn't just trust in her eyes_. His eyes widened slowly as he realized what she meant for him to see.

_She treats me like a favorite uncle._

_She loves me.  
_

Logan looked down, about to speak to Sonya, but her eyes were closed. She had fallen asleep against him. He gently eased himself out from behind her and stood up beside the bed. She looked so peaceful that he almost didn't want to move her. There was always an empty couch downstairs that he could sleep on for the rest of the night. Finally, he decided to pick her up and take her back down to her own bed.

Logan carefully slid one arm underneath her knees, slipped the other one behind her neck, and lifted her easily off the bed. He kicked the door open wide enough for him to walk through and took a moment to steady himself before he started down the steep stairs to the second floor. Sonya moved in her sleep, her arm curling up around his neck, and he smiled softly. It was strange how a young girl could make him feel...needed.

When Logan reached Sonya's room, he quietly pushed the door open and stepped inside. There were three beds in the room, and the one furthest from the door was the only empty one.

"Figures," Logan whispered to himself. Although the mansion was kept in good repair, the floors would still creak sometimes. A few times, that fact had come in handy, but right now, all he wanted to do was put Sonya back to bed, and then go back to trying to sleep himself.

He crossed the room without making a sound, placed the girl in her bed, and pulled up her covers. She shifted, but stayed asleep. Silently breathing a sigh of relief, he turned and began to walk back out of the room when his bare foot hit a squeaky floorboard. Logan winced and froze, his gaze flicking to the three beds, watching for any movement. When he didn't see any, he quickly leapt across the room and landed in the doorway. He grabbed the doorknob and started to close the door.

"Logan?" Sonya's sleepy voice asked from inside the room.

"Yeah?" he whispered back.

"I love you."

Logan rested his head against the cool door frame and closed his eyes. He was never any good with feelings. Finally, he replied, "Yeah, I know you do. I'll see you in the morning, kiddo."

When she didn't say more, he closed the door and walked down the hall, deep in thought. The next time he looked up, he realized that he'd walked down the stairs to the first floor, and was just entering the kitchen.

Bobby Drake was sitting in his usual late-nite spot, a container of ice cream in front of him. When he saw Logan walk in, he smiled cautiously and held out the ice cream.

"Hungry?" Bobby asked.

"No, thanks. Are there any..."

Bobby stood up. "Storm bought you some yesterday. It's hidden in that locked cupboard over there. The keys are up on top of the fridge."

Logan's eyebrows knitted in a frown. "How do you know where the keys are?"

"Storm told me. She knows I stay up late and eventually run into you. And, more importantly, she trusts me."

"Hmm," Logan said, cocking his head to one side, "I'm not so sure I would."

Bobby looked offended. "Why not?"

Logan opened the cupboard and pulled out a bottle of beer. He locked the cupboard again, put the key back, and then twisted the cap off the beer.

"Because you're a teenaged boy. That's why."

"Man, whatever." Bobby tried to brush past Logan, but the man blocked his path. Logan set his beer down and put his hands on Bobby's shoulders.

"Hey, take it easy. I'm just saying, there's a lot of kids in this place, and one of them could read your mind or something and find it. Someone might try to blame you, that's all."

"Yeah, well, there's one problem with that scenario."

Logan eyed him. "What's that?"

"None of the kids in here can read minds. Only Ms. Gray and the Professor could."

"Yeah?"

Bobby nodded. "Yeah."

"Good. Okay."

Logan took a sip from the bottle and grimaced. Next time, he'd have to tell Storm what kind to get. He considered dumping the bottle, then reconsidered and took a large gulp. He was just about to sit down at the kitchen table when there was a loud crash from the direction of the living room.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Logan rushed out of the kitchen and into the hallway. He flattened his back against the wall, taking a vital second to collect his rushing thoughts. Opening his nostrils wide, he took in a deep breath, simultaneously catching a familiar scent. Shuffling noises in the living room reached his sensitive ears, and he slowly peered around the corner, more curious than anything else. A figure dressed in black rummaged through a chest of drawers, scattering papers on the floor in its hasty search. The figure stopped suddenly and looked around, and Logan quickly pulled back around the corner and silently prayed that he hadn't been seen.

After a few seconds passed, he heard noise once again coming from the room, and he slipped silently around the corner. The figure set down a stack of papers, retrieved a camera from its pocket, and then removed the black mask covering its head. A tumble of long brown hair escaped the mask, cascading down the figure's back in soft waves. Logan could smell the lilac shampoo the intruder had used from across the room; it was close to intoxicating, and he felt slightly dizzy.

Shaking his head to clear his mind, he deliberately made a noise in his throat that almost sounded like a growl. The woman spun around, the camera still in her gloved hand. Her green eyes were wide and full of fear. When she saw that only a man stood there, she relaxed only slightly.

"What are you doing?" Logan asked, an amused smile on his lips. It was then that he realized he was still holding the beer he'd opened in the kitchen. He casually took a swig.

Though her face grew hot with the embarrassment of being caught, she would not drop her gaze from his brown eyes. The hand holding the camera trembled slightly, but she lifted her chin defiantly.

"What's it to you, Logan?" She retorted, her voice thick with hatred.

With a chuckle, he took a step forward, using the beer bottle to point at her. "Well," he replied, "I happen to live here."

Now it was her turn to laugh.

"What's so funny?" Logan asked.

"You don't live anywhere. Not for long, anyway."

"People change." He began to circle her.

She nodded. "You're right about that. But that only applies if you are, in fact, a person. And we both know that you're not. You're pure beast, Logan."

Logan stopped then, his face mere inches from her own. "I'm not!" He shouted, causing her to shrink back, her green eyes shut tight.

Logan closed his own eyes and took a breath, controlling his rage. He realized he'd been only seconds from releasing his claws, but as he calmed down, he felt them slowly retract into his forearms.

"So, Raven," he finally managed, "what are you doing here?"

The woman opened her eyes again, and replied, "Just doing a little detective work."

"Yeah? Who sent you?"

Raven glared at him icily. "None of your business."

"Actually it is. I live here, remember? You invaded my house, and I demand to know why!"

Just then, a small voice whimpered, "Logan?"

Logan spun around. Sonya stood there, looking paler than usual. Her black bangs clung to her forehead, and her eyes looked…strange.

"Sonya?" Logan moved across the room, as her eyes slid closed and she began to sway on her feet. He reached her just before she hit the floor. Cradling her in his arms, he turned back to Raven.

"If you ever listen to a word I say, now would be the time. Get the hell outta here!" He glanced down at the child in his arms, then thought of something else to say to Raven. She had gone.

"Don't worry, sweetheart. You'll be all right," he murmured to Sonya, and gently

pressed his lips to her fevered forehead.


	3. Chapter 3

Bobby appeared in the doorway then, a puzzled look on his young face. In his hurry to get downstairs, he'd put his pajama bottoms on backwards; and he was bare-chested. He remembered the black T-shirt in his hand, and quickly slipped it on.

"What happened?" He asked Logan.

"She's sick. She just…collapsed," Logan rasped.

"So what do we do?"

"I dunno. If the Professor were still…" he trailed off.

Bobby just nodded. Then, his eyes lit up. "Hey, what about Rogue?"

Logan's bushy eyebrows knitted. "What?"

"If she touches you and Sonya…"

Logan shook his head vehemently. "Don't even go there, Bobby!" He set Sonya down on the red couch in the middle of the living room, then started toward the kitchen again.

"Do you want her to get better or not?!" Bobby called as he followed him.

"Of course. But that sure as hell _ain't_ the way to do it," Logan's voice replied from inside the kitchen.

Bobby leaned against the door frame and crossed his arms, watching the man as he slammed through every drawer and cupboard in the room. After he searched the last one, Logan stopped and glared at the young man.

"What?" Bobby asked.

"Where do you people keep the dishcloths?"

"In the hall closet, like everyone else."

"No. _Normal_ people keep their dishcloths near the sink, where they actually _use_ them, not in a closet outside the kitchen!"

"Dude, calm down. It's probably just a fever or something. Kids get sick all the time."

"First off, I'm not a 'dude'. And second, I can tell that it's different this time."

Bobby stared at Logan for a moment, then shook his head. "Whatever. I'll get the cloth for ya. Hang on."

"No, you won't," a female voice said from behind him. "You will go to bed now."

Bobby and Logan looked up. Storm stood there, her arms crossed lightly over her chest, her white hair braided down her back. She'd let it grow out again, Logan noticed; he thought it looked nice.

"Go," she said again, and Bobby let out a sigh.

"Fine. Goodnight, Logan. Hope Sonya feels better."

"I…" Logan started to explain, but Storm merely held up her hand, a dishcloth folded into her palm.

"She'll be fine, Logan. Here." She handed him the cloth, and he ran it under lukewarm water, squeezed it out, and headed back into the living room. He sat down on the edge of the coffee table, and placed the cloth on the girl's forehead, again listening to her heart with his sensitive ears.

"Raven was here, rifling through papers over there," Logan said, indicating with his chin where he'd seen her before.

Storm's eyes grew wide. "What was she looking for?"

"I don't know. I was just about to get it out of her when Sonya came downstairs. I caught her when she passed out." He swallowed, then locked his gaze with Storm's. "You don't think…I mean, she's only 11. I thought…"

Storm sat beside him, also watching Sonya. "It's always a possibility, Logan. The way I understand it, mutant ability becomes apparent either at puberty, or after some great stress. Now, whether that stress was actual or emotional, is the missing piece here. But I still wouldn't worry. She's a strong, smart young lady. And most of all, she has you looking after her."

Logan's throat tightened at that. Never had he felt so much responsibility as he did right at that moment. "I don't know if I can help her, Storm. She's so…small."

Storm's brown eyes looked warmly into his. She reached over and took his hand. Though her skin was warm, he could feel a tingle run through her fingers, as if her powers were running through her veins even then.

"I know you doubt yourself often, Logan. But no one else does. Especially not Sonya."

"So what do I do?" He asked.

Storm stood up, letting her hand slowly slip from his. "Just stay here and keep an eye on her. If her powers are surfacing, the symptoms are somewhat like the flu. When she wakes up, give her some water. You'll figure out the rest."

When she was gone, Logan turned back to the sleeping girl, watching her eyes moving beneath her closed lids. As he listened to her quick breathing, a memory came flooding back to him without warning, and no matter how hard he tried to block it out, it began to play in his mind.

Running.

He was always running. This time, though, he wasn't running in fear. There was what some might call a smile on his face. Directly in front of him was a fall of brown hair, swinging back and forth with each step she took away from him. Wet grass crushed under his bare feet, soaking the legs of his pants and slicking his heels. The sun was warm, but a light breeze blew around them, cooling the sweat on his face.

With a final leap, he caught her by the waist and twirled her around until they both fell down. The dew turned his t-shirt dark blue, but he didn't feel it. The only thing that mattered was that he had her, and he wasn't letting go. Laughing her musical laugh, she rolled over on top of him and put her slender hands on either side of his face. Her nearly-black eyes gazed lovingly into his, and she leaned down and gently kissed his lips. His arms still around her waist, he pulled her even closer and deepened the kiss, pressing his tongue against hers. When they finally broke away from each other, she stared at him for a moment, until he noticed a mischievous grin wash over her naturally pink lips. Then, before he could stop her, she got up and ran away from him, holding up his boots like a prize.

With a chuckle, he also stood, and took off after her once more.

Running.

Logan woke with a start, glancing around disconcertedly. He instantly recalled where he was, and was angry with himself for drifting off. He looked down at the couch, where Sonya still slept. Her face looked even paler than before, and it worried him. His heart squeezed at the thought of her being in pain, and at the realization that he was fairly helpless to comfort her. He didn't know what else to do, so he gently picked her up, sat down on the couch, and let her sleep in his arms.

_What am I doing?_ He asked himself. _Do I really think this is somehow going to help, or is this just my selfish wish to be closer to her in any way possible?_ Even so, he noticed that her breathing became deeper, less rushed. Maybe it would help, after all.

Logan adjusted the blanket over both of them, and before he could think about anything else, he was asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Bright morning sunlight shone into Logan's face, causing him to open his eyes only slightly.

Where was he?

As soon as he was fully conscious, the events of the night before came rushing back into his mind. Yawning widely, he gazed down at his lap, expecting to see Sonya laying there, her dark hair curled around her heart-shaped face, her delicate hand resting underneath her chin.

But she wasn't there. His arms were empty. Allowing himself a leisurely stretch, he popped his knuckles and then stood up. He could hear the kids beginning to rise for the day, their hushed conversations slowly growing louder in their enthusiasm. Logan padded out into the hallway, and found Bobby talking with Peter, the tall and somewhat intimidating boy who could change his body into pure organic steel.

"Hey, Bobby. Peter," Logan greeted. The tall boy simply nodded. For such a tough-looking kid, he sure is shy, Logan thought to himself.

"How's Sonya?" Bobby asked, genuinely concerned.

"Actually, that's why I was looking for you. I was gonna ask if you'd seen her."

Bobby frowned and shook his head. "Sorry, no. Have you checked the stables? She likes the horses."

"Nah. I just woke up, and she was gone. Thanks, I'll go check it out."

"No problem." Logan turned to walk away, but Bobby called out, "Hey!"

Logan turned to look over his shoulder.

"If you need help, let me know."

"Will do."

Logan stepped out into the early morning air. Though it was early October, it was still warm enough that he was comfortable in only his jeans and tank-top (which the kids at the school jokingly referred to as a "wife-beater"), and his black plaid shirt tied around his waist. His feet were still bare, and the dew was chilly, but he didn't mind. He could've walked over hot coals at that point and not felt it; all he wanted was to find Sonya, to make sure she was all right.

Logan made his way to the stable, a long, narrow building topped with a metal roof. He pushed one of the heavy doors open just enough to squeeze inside, and then stood just past the doorway, waiting the extra second it took for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. The horses stood at their hay nets, quietly munching their breakfast, occasionally letting out a sneeze or stamping a hoof.

He was about to call out for Sonya when he heard a small noise coming from a stall at the end of the row. It sounded like sniffling to his ears, and when he inhaled, he could smell…was that roses? He wondered.

"What's the matter, kiddo?" Logan asked, finally breaking the silence. It was a long minute before a small voice answered him.

"I don't want…" a sob interrupted her. Logan walked quickly to the stall, and peered inside. Sonya was seated against the back wall of the stable, her knees drawn up to her chest. She still seemed a little pale, but her blue eyes were bright. A little too bright, Logan soon realized, but decided not to speak about it. After a moment, he walked inside and sat down beside her. Sonya rested her head against his broad chest, her tears falling silently down her cheeks.

After a while, Logan took a breath, and then said, "I know how you're feeling, Sonya. Like you don't fit in anywhere anymore. Like no one understands what it's like to be you."

Sonya nodded slowly. "I used to be so…normal."

Logan grunted a small laugh. "Sorry," he apologized when he saw the look of surprise on her upturned face, "it's just…I've _never_ been normal. But we're alike in more ways than one, you know."

"How?"

"Well, for one, neither of us can go home. And to tell the truth, I don't even remember where 'home' is anymore. But that doesn't matter right now. But we both have people who care about us, who accept us the way we are. And they're all right here, at the school."

"I know," Sonya replied. "I just wish that I knew someone else like me. You know, someone who…"

"Has the same abilities as you do?"

Sonya merely nodded. She twirled a piece of hay between her thumb and forefinger.

"What, um…" Logan tried to put his thoughts into the correct words. "What abilities do you have, exactly?"

The girl, who, Logan suddenly realized, was quickly becoming a young woman, shrugged. "So far, all I can do is this."

Sonya stopped twirling the piece of hay, and laid it across her palm. Her gaze concentrated on the hay, and in a matter of moments, it turned green and began to bud. As Logan watched, the bud slowly opened, and the hay turned into a blade of alfalfa that looked like it had just been picked from a field. For some reason, he glanced down and was startled to see that the hay in the entire stall had followed suit; they were both sitting in a soft pile of green grass. When he gazed at Sonya, she simply shrugged her thin shoulders and tossed the blade into the pile.

"I noticed it a few days ago, when I was in here with Cupid, the brown horse in the first stall. I was just sitting with him, and then picked up a piece of hay.

"I was missing my mom again, and the next thing I knew, the grass all around me was green again. Some of it even grew purple flowers on it."

Logan only nodded. "Have you talked to anyone else about it?"

"No. I…" she stopped again for a moment, "I don't have many friends here. I like being alone, most of the time."

"We're alike in that way, too," Logan replied. "But sometimes, it helps to have another person's perspective on things."

Sonya looked up into his brown eyes. "Who do you talk to, Logan?"

He stretched out his legs, bracing himself by spreading his hands out behind him. "I used to talk to the Professor. But now, I usually go and find Storm. She's a good listener, but she won't just tell you what you want to hear. She tells the truth, which is rare nowadays, I've noticed. She might be able to help you more than I can, since she's…well, she's a woman, so…" he let himself trail off.

Sonya was silent for a while. When Logan looked down at her again, the expression in her blue eyes was one he hadn't seen before. To be perfectly honest, it made him uncomfortable, but not in an altogether bad way. He just didn't know how to react to it. Afraid to turn away, he continued to gaze at her, until she looked down.

"Logan?" She asked so quietly that had he not had such sensitive hearing, he would've missed it.

"Yeah?"

"There's something else. Something else I can do, but I don't want to."

Logan took her hand in his, and he realized that her skin was cool. He squeezed her hand reassuringly. "What's that, kiddo?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, he wished he hadn't spoken at all. The girl beside him began to cry. She hid her face against his shirt, and her shoulders shook with her sobs. Logan didn't know what to do, so her wrapped his arms around her and held her gently to himself.

"It's okay," he murmured into her dark hair. He desperately wanted to know what was wrong, but he was resolved not to push her. She would tell him if she wanted to.

Her voice was muffled as she spoke. "You're hurting. Deep inside, I mean, where no one can see. You pretend not to think about it, but every day, you remember. You remember _her_, and it hurts you."

Logan was stunned. "Who? Jean?" He asked.

Sonya shook her head emphatically against his chest. "No. The woman with long brown hair. She had freckles on her shoulders, and dark brown eyes."

For a moment, Logan couldn't speak.

"How…?" He finally managed.

Sonya sat up and gazed at him uneasily, as if she were afraid that he would be angry with her. "I saw her in my dream last night. You were playing a game with her, chasing each other. You were happy then."

He could only nod; the lump in his throat made it impossible to speak.

"What happened to her?"

"I don't know. I can't remember," Logan whispered, all his emotions rushing back at once.

"It's not just you, you know."

He was puzzled, and it must've showed on his face, because she went on to explain. "I can see other people's thoughts. But with you, they're stronger, somehow. Like they're amplified or something."

Suddenly, he recalled last night, when he had awakened to see her in his room. Understanding dawned in his eyes. "So last night when you said you had a nightmare, it wasn't exactly _your_ nightmare, was it?"

"Nope," she replied. Then, before he could open his mouth to speak, she added, "it started about two weeks ago."

Two weeks ago, Logan realized, was when he had come into the dining hall and found a few of the other girls making mean comments to Sonya. Apparently, because she had no powers to speak of, they didn't feel that she belonged at the school. They had backed her into a corner, and she was so afraid that her slender body was shaking violently. As soon as the girls noticed Logan coming, they immediately scattered, leaving the terrified girl where she stood, fearful and embarrassed tears streaming down her cheeks. The girls who had been teasing her were rounded up by Storm, who had been beside Logan when he'd walked in, and Logan took Sonya by the hand and led her out of the room. When she'd calmed down, he got the whole story from her, and from what he could see, she seemed to be all right.

Clearly, she really wasn't.

Logan stood up, and helped Sonya to her feet as well. Then, he lifted her chin gently so he could see her bright blue eyes. "We'll figure this all out. Okay?"

"Okay," she replied, somewhat uncertain. Suddenly, she wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly. "Thank you, Logan."

"You're welcome, kiddo."


	5. Chapter 5

Raven crouched in the crook of two tree branches, high above the ground. She held a small pair of binoculars up to her green eyes, watching as Logan and Sonya emerged from the barn, his arm placed protectively around the girl. Sonya glanced up at Logan and smiled, and though she might have imagined it, Raven thought she saw him smile back.

Raven's own face turned downward into a scowl. _Damn that man,_ she thought. _How does he always turn up at the most inconvenient times and places?_

"No matter," she murmured aloud, as she pushed the binoculars back into the pack she'd wedged into the nook behind her. She'd dealt with the Wolverine before; she'd just have to do it again, but permanently this time. How she would accomplish that, however, was a different matter. Raven wasn't concerned about that, either; if anything, she was resourceful. She'd figure it out, somehow.

Raven watched as Logan sat down on the bottom step of the school's stairs. Sonya continued into the house, stopping only once to bid him goodbye. He raised his hand, returning the goodbye, and then the girl was gone. A bell sounded from within the building, and the few kids who had been outside rushed inside, not wishing to be late for their classes. The double doors swung closed, and then Logan was left alone.

Now was her chance.

Raven swung down from the tree, gracefully landing on her feet. Her hair fell around her face like a veil, and she swept it behind her shoulders with one quick flick of her hand as she straightened and walked over to Logan.

Logan, of course, had known she was there the entire time, having smelled her as soon as he'd stepped outside to find Sonya. Now, he stood up, more a sign of curiosity than of respect. Truth was, he hated the woman standing before him with her arms crossed lightly over her chest. He…alright, maybe he didn't hate her. It was more a mutual disdain than pure hatred. He'd be upset, momentarily, if anything happened to her, but he wouldn't lose sleep over it.

It hadn't always been this way, however. Once, a long time ago, she had simply been a young girl. A girl not unlike Sonya, in fact, only without the mutant abilities. Then, an encounter with one of the Brotherhood had changed her. It had made her angry, spiteful toward all mutants. To her, they were all the same, especially Logan, with his claws and his unapproachable demeanor. He'd always seemed so cold to her, as if she reminded him of someone…

"What do you want now?" Logan growled. "I thought for sure you'd gone back into hiding."

Raven threw her head back and laughed, her husky voice echoing off the surrounding trees. Logan thought then that her name really did fit her, but said nothing. When her laughter finally died away, Raven fixed her wide green eyes on Logan's face.

"You are all alike, after all. Could it not be possible that I came here only to speak with you?"

Logan's eyebrows knitted even closer together. "No."

Raven stared at him, mildly surprised. Then, she suddenly shrugged. "Fine. Then I will leave you to your fate."

"Fine."

She turned to walk away, but Logan grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back around to face him. She was all too aware that his face was inches from her own. His brown eyes pierced through hers, as if he could divine the truth simply by peering inside her. The feeling was disconcerting – almost intoxicating – and she struggled hard to keep her focus as his voice rumbled through her entire body.

"Why do you do this to me, Raven? Are you trying to torture me?"

Her eyes filling with sudden tears, she could only shake her head no. His grip was tight enough to hurt her, but that wasn't what had upset her. It was the pain in his voice, the overwhelming sense that Logan finally understood that he was alone in the universe. And the fact that it wasn't sitting well with him didn't help, either. It only made him that much more intense.

If that was even possible.

He realized then that he was still holding her arm, and was squeezing it fairly tightly. With a sigh of disgust, he released her. He took a half-dozen steps away from her, but stopped when she called out his name. He turned back, waiting expectantly.

"I really did come here to talk. There are things you should know."

Logan shook his head. "I don't care, Raven. Now get out of here."

"I can't. It's about your past. About…"

Logan closed the space between them in what seemed like one leap. "Listen! I don't know who sent you or what you really want, but I'm done hearing about my past! I just want to be left alone!"

Raven was shaken. She had never seen him this angry, except during those brief outbursts of rage that sometimes overtook him. But even then, he wasn't a rational person, but was acting on only the most basic instincts. For the first time in her life, Raven was terrified of the man before her. Tears flowed freely down her flushed cheeks, though she stifled her sobs so that her chest heaved with each breath.

Logan was so startled to see her cry that he immediately cursed himself. What was it about this woman that confounded him so completely?

"Raven. I…" he shook his head, unable to put into words what he was feeling. With a sudden rush of tenderness, he pulled her to him and pressed his lips to hers. At first, she tried to pull away, but when he wouldn't release her, she let her eyes slide closed. Her arms wound around his neck, her right hand slipping up to tangle in his brown hair. Logan breathed in her scent – flowery and yet earthy at the same time – and he could feel the world around them fade away, leaving them alone with each other.

Too soon, he broke away from her lips. Raven opened her eyes and looked up at him, waiting. Logan wiped the tears from her cheeks, his fingers lingering on her skin, as if he were memorizing the feel of it. When her bottom lip trembled at the expression in his eyes, he leaned down and kissed her once more, only for a second.

"You should go, Raven," he rasped.

"I know," she replied, her own voice huskier than usual.

When she didn't move, Logan stepped away and walked into the mansion. When he got to the door, he turned back to glance at her once more, but she had disappeared. Suddenly feeling empty again, he leaned his head against the doorframe and took a deep breath. Then, he opened the door and went inside.

Raven watched Logan walk into the school from her perch in the tree. When the door closed behind him, her emotions overflowed her body, and she covered her face with her hands and sobbed aloud.

XXXXX

Bobby ran down the hallway at full speed. He was almost late for class again, and he did not want to be lectured once more. He cut around the corner, and nearly ran headlong into Logan, who had stepped to one side in anticipation. He grabbed Bobby's shirt with one hand, stopping him instantly.

"What's the rush, Bobby?" Logan asked in his usual gruff tone.

"Don't wanna be late for Storm's class," Bobby replied breathlessly.

"I'll walk you. Play along, okay?"

Bobby only nodded. When they reached the door to the class, Logan opened it and strolled in, Bobby trailing silently behind. Storm looked up from the book on her desk, and was somewhat surprised to see Logan standing there.

"Logan. Can I help you?" She asked.

"Not really. I was talking with Bobby, and lost track of the time. It's my fault he's late."

"Oh." She looked suspicious, but didn't act on it. Instead, she merely gestured to Bobby to take a seat. He sat between Rogue and Peter, who both smiled at him. Rogue made a face to let him know that she knew their story was just that – a story.

"Thank you, Logan," Storm said, and Logan turned to leave. As he passed Bobby, he gave him a wink, which Bobby answered with a slight nod.

Logan left the room, then suddenly peeked back around the doorframe. "By the way, Storm?"

She looked up again. "Yes, Logan?"

"I'm gonna take a ride. I'll be back tonight."

She nodded. "As long as you're back in time."

Logan was confused. "In time for what?"

Inwardly, Storm sighed. Forgetful creature, she thought to herself. Aloud, she patiently explained.

"You're supposed to watch the children again, remember?"

"Oh, right," Logan replied, putting his closed fist to his forehead. "Seven o'clock, right?"

She couldn't help a small smile. "That's correct."

"I'll be here."

"Good. And Logan?"

Logan ducked around the corner, but peeked around yet again when Storm called him back.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

With a genuine smile on his face, Logan answered, "You're welcome."


	6. Chapter 6

There was really nothing like the open road.

Logan sat on his motorcycle, watching the trees speed past, letting his mind run its thoughts. The strong breeze from moving so fast whipped his hair back, and he savored the feeling. On the road, all his problems and emotions seemed to slip away, leaving his mind clear, if somewhat empty.

His encounter with Raven wouldn't leave him, however; it was burned too deep for that. It wasn't that he regretted kissing her. He was the one who'd initiated it, after all. The part that shook him was the fact that while he was kissing her, he had become totally lost in it. He couldn't think – he could only feel – and while it wasn't an unpleasant feeling, it was so completely foreign to him that he wasn't quite sure how to deal with it. Only once before had he felt that way, and that was a long time ago, with a woman whose name he couldn't remember. She was just a shadow in his memory, so much so that at times he'd wondered if he hadn't just dreamed her up in the first place.

But then, if that were true, then how could Sonya see her?

With a growl, he slowed down and turned off on a side road that was little more than a dirt path through the woods. Soon, the trees parted, opening into a clearing carpeted with violets, and Logan turned off the ignition and stepped onto the clearing. At the very edge of the field was a cliff; the drop was no less than a hundred feet, straight down. Logan sat on a large boulder right at the edge, letting his legs dangle into the nothing beneath him. The sun was high in the sky, already making its way toward the west, and he could see a lone hawk circling in front of him. It seemed content to just wheel around and around, its huge wings barely moving in the breeze.

He closed his eyes, letting the fragrance of the violets fill his nostrils. As soon as he did, memories came flooding back. The ride had cleared his mind, he realized then, but it had only done so for a short time.

"You're pure beast." The words echoed through him, so loud he swore he could hear them echo off the trees behind him. While he had denied that it was true, how had he expected anyone to think anything else? He secretly believed it himself, after everything he'd done in the past. He was, after all, the only person in the mansion who slept far away from everyone else, locked away in the attic like, well, like some kind of creature.

Like an animal.

Logan was startled out of his thoughts when he heard a twig break behind him. He jumped up and spun around, letting his claws shoot out, ready to face whoever – or whatever – was there. He was so shocked to see who was standing there, that he found himself unable to move.

The man standing before him smiled gently, at first not speaking. Then, as Logan stepped forward, the man said, "I knew I would find you here."

Logan's voice caught as he spoke. "Professor?"

"Yes, it's me. How are you, Logan?"

He took another cautious step toward the man. "How…how are you standing?"

Professor Xavier smiled even wider, as if Logan had made a small joke. He sat on a fallen log, seemingly unaware that his gray suit would get dirty, and motioned for Logan to join him. He did so, still unsure if Xavier was really even there.

"I can stand, Logan, because I'm not really here."

Well, that answered that question, Logan thought. Aloud, he said, "What?"

"I am inside your mind. This is the way you wish to see me, therefore, I have no need of a wheelchair."

Logan was confused. "But, how can that be? I'm not dreaming."

The Professor chuckled. "Quite right. Yet here I am. Puzzling, isn't it?"

Logan said nothing. There was so much to say, yet he couldn't find the words. Finally, he managed, "Why are you here?"

"I'm not sure. I suppose it is because you need advice. That is why you used to come to me."

"I feel so…confused. I've never been used to feeling that way, and it scares me."

"Confused about what?" Xavier asked. Or rather, his likeness did.

Logan shrugged. "A lot, these days. There's this girl at the school, Sonya, and her powers are surfacing. She told me last night that she loved me."

"And you don't know what to do with that."

"Well, yeah. I mean, she's a great kid, but…" he let himself trail off.

"Logan, I know you don't work well with feelings, but how do expect to understand your true potential if you never trust anyone? If you never learn to love?"

Logan stood up and began to pace. "But see, that's it. I do love her. But I'm afraid. Everyone I love…" his voice broke then, "…they're all dead."

Xavier sat silent for a moment, fully understanding for the first time. His smile faded quite a bit, and at first, he only watched Logan pacing. Logan himself felt himself becoming more agitated with every step. Why was this so hard? He asked himself.

"So, what else are you confused about, Logan?" The Professor asked finally. "About your feelings for Raven?"

Logan spun around at the mention of her name. "How do you know about that?"

Xavier shrugged. "I'm your imagination, remember?"

Logan relaxed. "Right. Anyway, I don't know how to feel about her. She's done some bad things -"

Xavier held up his hand to silence him. "So have you."

Logan thought about that for a moment. He did have a point there. "Well, yeah. But when I joined the X-Men, I put all that behind me."

Xavier's brow furrowed. "It seems to me, Logan, that the only reason you are the way you are today, is because someone gave you a chance. Because someone trusted you."

When Logan said nothing, the Professor continued. "I believe that almost anyone has the potential for good, Logan. Even a fearful, mistrusting man such as yourself. If you can join the cause, then…" he simply shrugged.

Logan looked at the sky again. The hawk was gone, and the sun had slid even more toward the horizon. The clouds had turned a light shade of pink, edged with the golden reflection of the sun. When he turned toward the Professor again, he noticed that the man was beginning to fade slightly.

Not wanting him to leave, Logan rushed to speak. "You think I should trust her."

"I think that deep in your heart, you know how you feel already. You're simply afraid to take the next step." The man stood then, and became even more transparent. "I have to go, now, Logan."

"Professor, wait…" Logan jumped up, but Xavier held up his hand again, and Logan stopped in his tracks.

"Take care of my school, Logan. We'll meet again, of that I'm sure."

As the last word escaped his lips, Xavier simply vanished, leaving Logan alone in the clearing once more. Not knowing what to do, he stayed where he was, letting his mind absorb what had just happened.

Suddenly, he remembered the setting sun, and looked down at his watch. It was 6:30. He would have just enough time to get back to the mansion. He climbed back onto the motorcycle, turned the ignition, and left the clearing.

XXXXX

"What if he doesn't come back?"

Bobby looked up at the girl who'd come into the kitchen, where he had been doing his homework. He smiled softly, then patted the chair beside him. She sat down, and Bobby turned to face her, his hands on his knees.

"He will, Sonya. He always comes back. This is his home, now."

She looked at him suspiciously, but said nothing. Bobby winked, then leaned close and asked in a conspiratorial tone, "Hey, you want some ice cream?"

Sonya nodded, so he got up and went to the freezer and looked inside.

"Chocolate or vanilla?"

Sonya thought for a second, then replied, "Vanilla."

Bobby grinned again. "Good choice. That's my favorite, too."

"What's your favorite, Bobby?" A female voice asked from the doorway.

Bobby looked up, though he already knew who was there. "Hey, Rogue. I was just getting Sonya some ice cream. You want some?"

Rogue smiled. "Sure."

"Could you get three bowls from the cupboard?" He asked her, and she nodded.

"So, is Logan back yet?"

Bobby shook his head. "Not yet, but he still has five minutes. Sonya was just asking about him, too."

Sonya crossed her arms. "I still don't think he's coming."

Rogue sat in Bobby's seat, pushing his books toward the middle of the table. She slipped a stray hair behind her ear, then smoothed the rest of her hair with her gloved hand.

"Sonya, there's one thing I know about Logan."

"What's that?" the girl asked.

"If Logan makes a promise –" she stopped when the roar of an engine echoed off the courtyard outside.

"He keeps it," Bobby finished, unable to hide his wide grin as Sonya and Rogue both jumped up and ran to the front door. Most guys his age would be jealous if their girlfriend paid as much attention to someone as Rogue did to Logan, but not Bobby. Oh, he had been, at first; but he soon realized that Rogue saw Logan as a father figure. He'd protected her, and saved her life, and her feelings were those of a child to their parent – one who actually understood their unique gifts and abilities.

In fact, the only thing Bobby was jealous of was that she had someone like that, and he didn' soon as the front door swung open and Logan stepped inside, both girls rushed at him, squealing his name and hugging him.

Overcome by a sudden rush of tenderness, Logan dropped his leather jacket, which had been slung over his arm, and embraced both of them.

"Hello to you, too," he laughed aloud.

When they stepped back at last, Sonya looked up at him and very seriously said, "I didn't think you were gonna come back."

Logan's grin faded, and he crouched down to peer directly into her eyes. "I told you I'd keep you safe here, didn't I?"

"Yes."

"Well, here I am. And tonight, that is my main job." He stood up, noticing Bobby standing in the hallway, quietly watching. "So, what's going on around here?"

Bobby spoke up then. "We were just about to have some ice cream."

Logan nodded appreciatively. "Why don't you make that four, then?"

"Sounds good."

Logan followed the three of them into the kitchen, listening to the girls chatter on about their day.

It was good to be home.


	7. Chapter 7

Later that night, Logan sat on the couch in the living room, staring at the TV, but not really watching it. All the kids had gone to bed, including Sonya, though she had refused to sleep until Logan had told her a story. At a loss for what story to tell her, since he didn't know any fairy tales, he told her about when he first came to the mansion. Inevitably, the topic of Jean Gray had come up.

"You miss her a lot, too," Sonya had said during a lull in the story.

Logan nodded. "But I have memories of her, so when I start to miss her, I think of the good times we had."

Sonya's eyes filled with tears. "I wish I could remember my dad like that."

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"He left when I was small. Sometimes, I think I can see his face, but it's fuzzy. Like when you wake up from a dream. My mom said that he didn't wanna live with us anymore."

Her tears spilled over onto her cheeks, and Logan's heart gripped with sadness for her. He guessed that he really did have a soft spot for kids. Especially the ones who were forgotten.

Taking her hand in his, he looked into her watery eyes. "I can't say why he left, Sonya. But I'm sure that wherever he is, he still thinks about you."

Now, sitting on the couch, Logan thought about his conversation with the Professor – with his mental version of him, anyway. Subconsciously, he knew he was right; Raven just needed a chance. The only problem was, was Logan sure he wanted to be the one to give it to her?

Logan was suddenly aware of a familiar scent nearby. He looked over his shoulder, not at all surprised to see the person standing there. With a sigh of frustration, he closed his eyes.

"What now?" He asked.

Raven came over and sat down beside him. Her face was calm; underneath, however, he could see her emotions washing through her. She was dressed in a dark red top and slim, black jeans, and her brunette hair was pulled back into a braid. Sage green eye shadow made her doe-eyes seem even bigger, and her already-long lashes were lengthened by soft brown mascara. Her lips were only slightly shiny, suggesting that she'd slicked them with gloss rather than lipstick. Logan realized that he'd never seen her look quite so…feminine, so vulnerable.

"Earlier, when we…" she stopped, recalling their encounter in the front yard, "spoke, in the garden, I left before I could tell you why I came here."

Logan swallowed. He had a gut feeling that whatever she was about to say would cause trouble; not just for him, but for others, as well. Most of the time, he wasn't wrong.

"What's the news?"

Raven placed her hand over his. He considered pulling away, but for some reason he found it near impossible. Instead, he averted his gaze to the TV and waited for her to speak.

"The Brotherhood has their eye on a few of the kids here. Kids who have…certain abilities they wish to exploit for their purposes."

Logan couldn't say he was surprised. The Brotherhood was always trying to dig their claws into a good thing, and more often than not, they only succeeded in turning more humans against mutants. Logan shook his head.

"Such as?" He asked, but she simply shrugged.

"That, I don't know. My job was to come here, get a list of the kids and their abilities, and get out."

"So then why didn't you? You could've come in here when we were asleep last night, and got what you needed."

Raven turned away quickly so he couldn't see her expression. "Regardless of what you think of me, Logan, I don't agree with what the Brotherhood does. I only joined with them so I could find a way to destroy them."

"Yeah? How's that working for you?" Logan growled.

"Look, it takes a while for things to fall in motion. I've managed to do things on my own so far, but that won't always be the case, especially now." She glared at him, crossing her arms over her chest. Logan silently wondered if it was an involuntarily gesture. One to protect her heart.

Inwardly, he sighed. He would never figure women out. To Raven, he said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way." He finally heard the last part of her sentence, and looked at her curiously. "What do you mean, 'especially now'?"

Raven smiled. "I wondered when you would catch that." She stood up and began walking toward the hallway.

"Where are you going?" He asked.

"We should talk about this somewhere more…private. Just in case."

Logan wasn't so sure, but he figured his claws gave him an advantage over her. She was only a human, after all; a well-trained and very strong human, but a human just the same. He let her lead the way upstairs, to the third floor. When she got to his attic bedroom, she pushed the door open slowly and stepped inside. Logan stopped at the door, crossing his arms and leaning against the frame.

"Okay," he said finally, "so talk."

Raven glanced around the room. Her eyes took in the claw-marks on the walls, the single bulb recessed into the ceiling, and then came to rest on his scruffy face. She slowly sat down on his bed, sighing a little as she did.

"It has to do with Sonya's mother."

"Okay." It was his way of urging her to continue. Not to mention the fact that the mention of the girl made his throat tighten, so it was the only sound he could really make.

"Well, it seems that she was told that she would never be able to have children, but she desperately wanted one of her own. So, they went to a clinic, and had in-vitro fertilization. It took, and she ended up with Sonya."

"So what's that got to do with the Brotherhood?" He asked, and she held up her hand to stop him. A small smile played across her lips.

"The clinic was run by them. They didn't use her husband's genetic material. They used a mutant's."

"Whose?"

Raven shrugged. "So far, no one knows for sure. The one thing I do know is, they want Sonya, so they can figure that out. Not to mention that they wanna know what her mutant abilities are going to be."

Logan's voice was soft as he replied, "I already know."

Raven stared at him unbelieving. She stood up and paced in front of him. "How? How could you know that?"

Logan stopped her pacing by taking both arms in his big hands, and she looked right up into his eyes. His gaze was kind, as he replied, "Because she's already changing. She showed me out in the barn earlier today."

He felt her arms tremble as she took in the information, and unconsciously began rubbing them with his hands, trying to warm them – or at least comfort her in some tangible way.

"Then she's in even more danger," she finally said. "We have to get her out of here."

Logan shook his head. "I can't, Raven. I can't leave the mansion."

Raven placed her hands on his broad chest, imploringly. "Logan, think about this. If they get their hands on her…"

"I made a promise to protect all of them, Raven. How could I do that if I ran off with just Sonya?"

Raven was quiet. She bit her lower lip, deep in thought, and then suddenly brightened again.

"Then let me take her. I know a place we could hide out until your friends return."

"No way, Raven," he snapped.

There was no way he was letting Raven out of his sight with Sonya. Not 24 hours ago, she'd broken into the mansion to gather information. What if this was all just a trick? Give Sonya to Raven, and she delivers her to the Brotherhood with a big red bow. No fuckin' way!

Raven looked hurt, but she wouldn't let him know for sure. Instead, she lifted her jaw and proudly stared him in the eye. "Fine," she replied, "I can see you still don't trust me. Not even after all I've told you…"

"Come on…" he interrupted, but she continued anyway.

"…not even after the kiss we shared out there." She pointed out the window to the garden. "What do I have to do, Logan? Bloody my knees crawling to your feet? Let the Brotherhood kill me?"

When he didn't reply, she pushed away from him, her long braid whipping around her shoulder. Her arms clutched at her sides. Hugging herself again, he noticed, as if she would split in two. Raven spun around again, and shouted at him, "What do you want?!"

By now, Logan's senses were in overdrive. Her anger had stirred something inside him once again, and he felt alive, as if his entire body were made of electricity. What he wanted to know was, was she directly affecting him, or was it all within his own head?

Logan's pupils dilated, so much so that he could clearly see across the room, though the only light was the soft glow from the moon. His nose caught the scent of her skin every time she took a breath, and he felt himself growing slightly dizzy.

Raven noticed the change in Logan's demeanor, and she was puzzled by it. He was acting strangely, like…well, kind of like a wild animal, she thought. He had begun to circle behind her, his face dangerously close to her neck. You're just being silly, Raven thought to herself. He's a Wolverine, not a vampire. Still, she turned to face him.

"Logan, what are you doing?"

His voice was husky as he replied, "I never realized you were so…beautiful."

She was about to reply when he covered her mouth with his, letting his tongue run languidly over her lower lip. Raven sighed into his mouth, her control slowly slipping away with each second. She felt his hands run up her back, then down her arms, raising goose bumps on her skin. Raven moved slightly to pull her hair out of the braid, but his grip tightened on her arms, and he pulled her a little too roughly toward the bed.

"Ouch, Logan, stop it!"

He just smiled. "Come on, Raven. We both know you like it rough."

Suddenly afraid, she tugged hard out of his grasp and ran toward the door, but he was faster. He blocked the door, and she collided with his chest, letting out a screech of fear. He grabbed her by her right arm and leg, and effortlessly tossed her onto the bed.

Unable to stop himself, and not caring to, he climbed onto the bed and pinned her down, a terrifying grin on his handsome face.


	8. Chapter 8

Sunlight streamed into his eyes, causing Logan to wince. He moved to sit up, but was suddenly aware of a warm body lying beside him. To make matters worse, the events of the night before were now fuzzy in his mind. He remembered bringing Raven upstairs, and the argument they had, but everything after that was a blur. He was acutely afraid of what he might have done last night. He tried to concentrate, to remember; but nothing came. Cautiously, he turned to look at the person lying beside him. He knew she wasn't dead – he could hear her heart beating – but he wasn't sure he could ever look in her face again. So many questions ran through his mind.

Raven lay with her back to him, her dark hair haloed around her face in stark contrast to her pale skin. Her full lips were only slightly parted, seeming to invite him to kiss them, but he resisted. Though she had slept beside him, she might well be angry with him. _If only I could remember why_, he thought to himself.

Leaving her to sleep a while more, Logan slipped quietly out of the bed and made his way downstairs. After a quick stop in the bathroom, he walked on bare feet into the living room. Bobby and Rogue sat side-by-side on the velvet couch with their heads close together, talking quietly. When Bobby saw Logan, he moved his head back a little and let his arm slide from around Rogue's shoulder.

"Morning, Logan," Bobby greeted, and Logan nodded.

"Hey, don't let me ruin your fun, kid." Bobby blushed, but said nothing, and Logan cleared his throat nervously. "You guys didn't…hear anything…last night, did you?"

Bobby and Rogue exchanged puzzled glances, then shook their heads. Rogue asked, "Why?"

Logan stuck out his lower lip and shrugged. "Just curious. Doesn't matter. Hey, where's Sonya?"

It was Bobby's turn to speak. "Out in the barn. Seems to be spending a lot of time out there lately."

"Rogue," Logan asked, "would you mind going out to check on her?"

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

"No," he answered a little too quickly, but neither of them seemed to notice. "No, I just like to know where everyone is before breakfast."

"Oh, okay." She stood up, and with an apologetic look at her boyfriend, left the room.

Logan dreaded going back upstairs; but now was as good a time as any to find out just how bad he'd messed up with Raven. With a nod at Bobby, he also left and started up the two staircases, finally reaching the third floor. Silently, he eased the door open, and stepped inside.

Raven stirred when she sensed someone in the room with her. In her mind, unlike Logan's, the night before suddenly rushed back as soon as she woke. Struggling to keep herself calm, she turned over and saw Logan standing just inside the doorway, a look of confusion and despair on his face.

"Hi," was all he said.

"Hi," she replied, sitting up and pulling the covers over her chest self-consciously, even though she was still fully dressed.

Logan crossed his arms over his own chest, trying to find anyplace else to look besides Raven's face. Raven let a small smile play on her lips. Whatever had happened last night, she had never seen him look so uncomfortable.

Finally, he spoke. "I don't know what happened, Raven. I can't remember."

"Look, Logan, I don't exactly know why you attacked me…"

He cut in, dropping his arms to his sides. "I attacked you?!"

"It's all right. I stopped you before you could get anywhere."

Logan was puzzled. "Stopped me how?"

Raven shrugged. "I have my ways."

"You're sure I didn't hurt you?"

Raven nodded. Somehow she felt as bad inside as he did, as if she carried some of the blame for what had happened; but, she reasoned, it was only her empathic nature that made her feel that way. She could understand the pain he was experiencing – made worse by the fact that he couldn't remember anything.

"Come here," Raven murmured, patting the bed beside her, but he didn't move.

"You sure?" He asked doubtfully.

She laughed her pleasant, husky laugh. "Don't make me kick your ass again, Logan. I put quite a few marks on you last night, and I'll do it again."

Logan sat next to her, but he gazed at the door while she spoke to him.

"Logan, I know that we have an unusual relationship between us. Something like a love-hate relationship, but with even more hate."

At this, Logan simply nodded once, and she continued. "But when you kissed me out in the yard, I felt something I didn't know I could ever feel again. To think about it even now scares me as much as it does intrigue me. And you really scared me last night, too. You were just so…powerful, at first I didn't think I could stop you – you were like a freight train."

"Raven, I'm so sorry! I…" he interrupted, but she silenced him by pressing her pointer finger to his lips. Her pulse quickened at the touch of his skin against hers, so warm and – she cut off her thoughts quickly. She couldn't think this way right now.

"As I said, I don't know what happened, but I can guess there's more to it than we know."

"You think the Brotherhood is behind it?" Logan asked her, and she nodded slightly.

"I'm sure of it. Question is, why. And how."

Logan stood up and went to the window. "So what happens now?"

Raven also stood up. She reached out to touch his back, but her hand stopped just short of its mark. His mood was so uncertain; she wasn't sure if he would close her out again. Wearily, she dropped her arms to her sides.

"What happens to what?" She asked him.

He turned suddenly, his eyes even darker than usual. In a whisper, he replied, "To us."

Raven didn't reply immediately, and he turned back to the window and rested his head against the cool glass. "I mean, I'm not sure I can trust myself around you. Something about you makes me so…animalistic…like I'm running purely on instinct. It's dangerous for you to be around me now."

Raven's heart ached at his words, but her reply was soft. "Logan, I handled you just fine before…"

Logan pushed away from the window and grabbed her by her elbows. His grip was firm, but not painful, despite his adamantium skeleton. He stared directly into her eyes as he spoke.

"That was one time, Raven. What about next time? Or the one after that? I could kill you so easily without even knowing what I'd done, and I couldn't live with myself if that happened."

Everything he said was the truth, she realized then. But her stubborn will was not so easily overcome, and she lifted her chin defiantly.

"And why is that? Why should you be ashamed of your true nature? You're the Wolverine, aren't you? You were made for the business of killing. It's everything you are."

She knew her words had hurt him, but they needed to be said, and Raven was not one to dance around an issue. At first, Logan seemed as if he might strike her. Then, he simply let go of her arms and walked to the door.

"It's not everything I am. Stryker may have tried to make me his dog soldier, but he couldn't erase everything. Everyone needs love, Raven. Even a 'Wolverine' like me."

With a last glance, he disappeared down the stairs, leaving Raven alone with her thoughts.


	9. Chapter 9

Sonya peered around the edge of the barn, watching the other children as they played in the large field before her. They had broken up into various-sized groups; most of the boys were kicking or throwing balls, and a few girls were doing cartwheels, landing gently on their feet. Sonya scanned the faces, but didn't see the ones she searched for. Quickly, she slipped from behind the barn and made her way across the field, toward the safety of the house. She had nearly made it to the mansion when something struck her shin, and she pitched forward. Sonya managed to put her hands out in front of her and kept from hitting the ground with her full force, but she also succeeded in scraping her hands on the rough ground. Embarrassed by her fall, she felt her ears growing hot, even as a few chuckles erupted from the kids who surrounded her.

Sonya stood up and wiped her palms on her jeans, looking at the ground for what had tripped her. When she didn't find anything, she glanced at the kids' faces, and her heart sank when she saw a certain girl standing in her way, her thin arms crossed over her chest. A small smile played on her glossy lips, and her dark eyes narrowed as she glared at Sonya.

"You should be more careful around here," the nasty girl sniffed, and her friend giggled quietly.

Normally, Sonya would have simply apologized and taken the long way around the house. She hated confrontations, and would rather do what she could to avoid calling more attention to herself than was absolutely necessary. But not now, Sonya had resolved. It was time she stopped being the easy prey.

Pulling herself up as tall as she could, Sonya glared right back at the girl. "Get out of my way, Cheryl."

Cheryl wasn't impressed. Frowning even deeper, she replied, "You wouldn't speak to me that way, if you were smart."

"And if you were smart, you'd move out of my way."

The girl beside Cheryl suddenly drew in her breath, though she wasn't sure why. Sonya wasn't a threat to them, of that she was certain. Still, she had reacted on a basic level and couldn't explain it.

Still, Cheryl stood there, smirking. A larger crowd had since gathered, and some of them were quietly chanting "Fight, fight" to the girls, but neither of them heard it.

When the other girl refused to move, Sonya simply shrugged and replied, "Okay." Then, her eyes slid closed, and her lips moved silently. Cheryl watched with amusement, even nudging her friend with her elbow, but her friend was still nervous. So, too, were some of the others grouped around the girls. They murmured among themselves, trying to figure out just what Sonya was doing.

Then, a few of the kids gasped and began pointing to the ground at Cheryl's feet. Cheryl herself looked down, and noticed the thick vines wrapped around her ankles. At first, she only laughed and tried to pull herself free, but when she realized that she was tightly held in place, her eyes began to well with tears.

"Let me go, please Sonya! Make it stop!" she cried out, and Sonya slowly opened her eyes and leveled them at Cheryl.

"I'll make it stop. But only if you swear to stop teasing me!" Sonya replied, pushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

"Oh, please, if you can't take a little teasing…"

Sonya closed her eyes again, and the vines tightened even more. Cheryl cried out, her hands flapping about helplessly.

"Okay! I swear! I'll stop!"

Sonya smiled happily, and boldly took a step forward. When her lips were quite close to Cheryl's ear, she murmured, "I'll hold you to it. And if you ever do it again, I'll tell everyone that you're in love with Peter."

She moved away, and Cheryl's eyes were wide. "How…?" she began, but Sonya merely tapped the side of her head and began to walk away.

"Wait!" Cheryl called, and Sonya turned back questioningly. "You said you'd let me go."

Sonya struggled with the decision for so long that everyone soon became uncomfortable, wondering whether she would leave Cheryl there or not. Then, after a blink of her eyes, the vines relaxed their grip, and Cheryl nearly pitched forward. Sonya walked away past Logan, who stared at the new and sudden plant life in the middle of the lawn, then turned to follow her.

He caught up to her as she entered her bedroom.

"Sonya, what happened out there?"

She tossed her backpack into the corner opposite her bed, then flopped down on her mattress and shrugged. He noticed that she was once again avoiding his gaze, so he stepped over to her and knelt in front of her. He placed his hand gently under her chin, and she lifted her eyes to stare into his face. At the sight of his honest concern, her own eyes welled with tears, and she reached out for a teddy bear that sat on her pillow.

"I don't want this, Logan. I wanna be normal!" She wailed, burying her face into the bear's fur. Logan stood up, then sat beside her on the small bed, resting the ankle of his right leg over his left knee. He wiped at an invisible spot on his black boots, unsure of what to say to the girl.

"We've been through this before, remember? You're not abnormal. You just have…different talents…"

She waved her hand, silencing him. "I know. But now, instead of thinking I'm an easy target, all the kids are afraid of me. But I just wanted to make her stop."

Logan's brow knitted. "Who?"

Sonya frowned. "Cheryl K. She still harasses me…or, she did, until today."

"What did you do to her?" He asked, almost afraid to find out.

"I 'helped' a bunch of weeds grow out of the lawn and wrap around her ankles. I just thought it would make her stop. I didn't know I'd scare everyone. You should've seen their faces." Then, the tears spilled over onto her cheeks. "You wouldn't understand."

"I wouldn't?" Logan asked. Sonya looked up, curious at his raspy tone. He held up his right hand, knuckles facing her, and then pointed upward. "Care to rephrase that, sweetheart?"

Sonya laughed then, and he chuckled along with her. "Okay, I guess maybe you would. Sorry."

"That's okay. It's a little different when you're 11; I'll give you that." His face grew solemn. "Now, back to business. I understand why you did it, but promise me there won't be any repeat performances."

Sonya's expression mirrored his own, and she covered her heart with her hand. "I swear."

"Good. Cuz I certainly don't wanna piss off the groundskeeper, do you?" He asked, a devilish grin on his face.

"Henry? No. No, I don't."

Sonya seemed a little too serious for his taste, so he suddenly nudged Sonya with his foot, nearly knocking her off edge of the bed. She swatted him with her teddy bear, but he grabbed it away from her. He held it up by one leg and walked over to the window. Flinging it open with one hand, he dangled the bear near the window. Neither of them saw Raven watching from the doorway. She grinned at the ease with which this young girl had seemed to wrap herself around Logan's heart, and all without him even realizing it. After a few moments, Raven left them alone, not wanting to intrude on their father/daughter-type moment.

"Say goodbye, Sonya. Mr. Bear's going on a long trip."

Sonya leapt at him, grabbing the arm that held her toy. "Don't you dare!"

Logan eyed her curiously. "Or what?"

"Or," she thought for a moment. "Or I'll hide all your beers on you. Somewhere you won't find them." She motioned with a jerk of her head outside, where he could see the other kids poking at the huge plant. Henry came around the corner of the tool shed, shouting at them to go away, until they finally wandered off to someplace else.

Logan placed the bear into her waiting hands, then nodded appreciatively at her. "Thinking on your feet. I'm impressed, Sonya."

"Thanks," she replied, tossing the bear back on her pillow. It tipped over and rolled off the bed, landing on the area rug instead. _I'll pick it up later_, Sonya thought to herself with a shrug.

"Listen, I gotta take care of something in a while, but I promise I'll be back for that…recital thing…you guys are doing. Think you can keep yourself outta trouble until then?"

"Yeah. But do you really have to go?" Her eyes were sad as she spoke, and he nearly gave in and changed his mind.

But he needed some information, and there was only one person he could get it from.

And he didn't live at the school.

"Yeah, I do. But I'll make it back. I swear." He put his hand to his heart, as she had done earlier. Timidly, Sonya reached out and placed her hand over his, then gazed directly into his eyes.

"You better."

He smiled softly. "Or what?"

But this time, she only grew more serious. "My heart will break."

Shaken, Logan reached out and pulled her to himself. He buried his face in her dark hair, inhaling the same scent he had caught in the barn the day before. There were roses, but underneath that was another softer perfume, one he recognized but couldn't remember the name of.

"You wish I hadn't said that," she said against his chest, then sat up. "But I can't help it. I don't know why; I've tried to ignore this feeling inside me, but it won't go away."

She was right, of course, about him wishing she hadn't said what she had, but he could tell she was being honest about the rest, as well.

"What feeling?" He asked.

At first, she shook her head, unwilling to speak. But after a short time in silence, she said, "That we're connected, somehow."

Logan was dumbstruck. He'd had the same feeling the night she had visited his room, though he'd chalked it up to their common fears and insecurities. Now, though, he wasn't so sure if that was it.

Her voice brought him back to reality.

"Why don't you believe in love anymore, Logan?"

He looked up at the ceiling, trying to figure out a.) how to explain the answer to her question, and b.) why he was discussing love with an 11-year-old in the first place.

"Well," he began slowly, "it's not so much that I don't believe in love. It's more like…I'm hesitant to let myself experience such a deep emotion, again."

Sonya gazed at him. "Because of the dark-haired lady?"

Logan simply nodded.

"What happened to her?"

He pondered her question for a moment, before murmuring, "She…was killed. By some bad people."

Now it was Sonya's turn to nod. Then, she reached out and put her hand on his, and said, "Just like my mom."

"I assumed from what you said earlier, that your mom was at your home."

Sonya ducked her head once. "Not really. I miss my mom, because she's…" she couldn't bring herself to say the word "dead", so she simply trailed off. "But my home is my grandma's house. She took me to live with her after it happened."

"I see. How long has it been?" He asked, glancing around the room. His gaze rested on a picture that sat on her dresser. It was turned away from him, but he could see two people in the photo, both with dark hair.

"Six years. It was just after my Kindergarten graduation. Grandma took me out for ice cream, and while we were gone, they…they killed her. Our neighbor found her when she came to drop off a present for me." She seemed to be fighting with herself, trying to stay calm. Trying to be grown-up, for me, Logan figured. Finally, she simply stared at him and shrugged. "I just wish my dad would've been there. He would've saved her."

She'd never mentioned her father before, and her reference of him now both intrigued him, and created a pit in his stomach, though he wasn't sure why that was.

"Who…?" Logan began, when Raven rushed around the corner.

"Logan, we have to go if we wanna catch him," she gasped. When she caught her breath again, she glanced at Sonya and said, "I'm sorry."

Sonya nodded. "That's okay." She turned to Logan, who slid off the bed and stood up. "Be careful."

"I will. You behave, okay?"

"Yep."

After a moment's indecision, Logan bent down and kissed the top of her head. "Bye, kiddo."

When he had gone, she smiled softly and whispered, "Bye."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

On a mountain ridge, surrounded by scrub pines and snow, a lone figure slowly made its way around the jagged rocks and slippery paths, stopping every now and then to catch a breath. It watched a herd of wild goats bounding through the valley below, their shaggy white coats rippling with each move, their breath coming in great white clouds that haloed their heads for a split second, before the next goat burst through.

A mother mink ran past the figure, her baby close behind, and ducked into a hole between two rocks. When they were safely inside, the mother peeked back out, her black eyes seeming to dart everywhere at once. She gave one warning bark, then disappeared once more.

Before the person on the mountain could wonder what had startled the mink, a voice echoed off the snowy hills.

"Pyro!"

The figure turned, and pushed back the thick hood that covered its face. Sharp blue eyes gazed back toward the place the voice had come from, and a hand ran through spiky, blond hair, sending a small shower of snowflakes adrift on the slight breeze.

"Why can't you people just leave me alone?!" Pyro shouted back at Logan, his face contorted by an angry sneer. Then, he noticed the woman standing beside Logan; his expression quickly went from rage to confusion. "What the hell is going on here?"

Logan and Raven made their way over to the outcropping, where Pyro still stood. The goats had since disappeared, no doubt sensing Logan's intimidating presence. When they reached him, Logan narrowed his eyes at Pyro, as if he were sizing up an opponent. Confident that Pyro wasn't a threat, he turned to Raven, silently telling her to do the talking, for now.

"We need to know why the Brotherhood is after a certain young girl. What their latest project is. Where they're hiding out."

"In other words," Logan growled, "everything you know."

Pyro snickered, but when he saw Logan's face, his expression sobered. "All I 'know', is that they abandoned me after Bobby froze my ass. I haven't been in contact with them since."

Neither Pyro nor Raven expected what happened next.

Logan grabbed Pyro's jacket, and threw him against the sheer rock wall to their right. Securing the younger man with only his left hand, he held up his right hand and extended his claws.

Holding them under Pyro's chin, he shouted, "You lying sonofabitch! Tell us now, or I send you back to the Brotherhood, minus one head!"

"I swear, I don't know anything!" He insisted. Turning to Raven, he cried out, "You wanna help me out a little, here? Call off the attack dog, and I'll give you the name of someone who knows the answers you're looking for."

Logan grinned and then pressed his claws closer against Pyro's neck. He gazed over at Raven. "Did he just call me a 'dog'?" When she nodded, he turned his dark eyes back on the younger man. "I should kill you for that, you know."

Raven stepped over and put her hand on Logan's extended arm. "Logan, please. He is telling the truth. Put him down."

After weighing his options for a moment, Logan released Pyro, and retracted his claws. "Fine. What's this person's name?"

Pyro's eyes darted back and forth between the two, letting just enough silence pass to make them uncomfortable, to build the suspense, before he replied, "You're lookin' at her."

Stunned, Logan shook his head. "No. And strike one. Two more tries before you get Fed-Exed to your precious 'real' mutants."

The blond man shrugged. "Of course, they probably buried the info into her subconscious, in case she got caught. Which," he sneered, "she obviously has."

Raven shook her head emphatically. "No. I didn't get caught. I…" she gazed at Logan expressively, and Pyro caught her meaning.

"Oh, I see. A little mutant-human bonding goin' on, huh? You guys know that never works, right?"

Logan started forward again, but Raven blocked him with her arm and a single word.

"Don't."

She crossed her arms and glared at Pyro. "So, what do we do now?"

Pyro cocked his head to the side, thinking. "Well, I guess you could find someone who reads minds. Though the only two people I know of are dead, so…" he chuckled at his own private joke, and kicked at the snow around his feet. "They'd have to do it while you were asleep or unconscious, though, since it's probably buried pretty deep. Look, I'd love to help you out with that, but I gotta go."

"Thank you, Pyro," Raven said, dismissing him.

With a jaunty salute, he turned and pulled the hood back up over his head, then made his way down the mountain. Logan turned to her, his eyes in turmoil.

"Why are you letting him go? He's…"

"He's what, Logan? Your enemy?" She began to pace, her mouth set in a firm line. "Well, then. How exactly do you define me? I worked with the Brotherhood, long enough that they put things into my head that I don't even know about! That would make me your enemy, wouldn't it?"

"No. It…"

She interrupted him again. "Why? What makes it any different?"

He stepped over to her and took her arms in his hands, making her stop and look at him. "Because I love you."

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Logan felt a nervous pit in his stomach. Did he really feel that way, or was he just trying to calm her down, so there wouldn't be a repeat of the night before? The concept of love had become almost foreign to him, starting after he lost the dark-haired woman. _What was her name_? Logan asked himself, but he still couldn't remember.

Then, after Jean had died, he found it easier to push his emotions into the blackest corner of his mind than to deal with them.

It dulled the pain.

Raven stared blankly into his eyes, stunned into silence. She wondered if she had imagined what he had just said; after all, she'd been saying all along that Logan was almost a true Wolverine – a creature that mostly lived alone because of its intense and often explosive temperament. How could such a man ever feel as tender an emotion as love. _Then again_, she mused, _even animals felt protective of those in their care._

Finally, Raven asked, "But do you trust me?"

Logan simply nodded. He knew that she had been allied with the Brotherhood for quite some time, but if she said that her purpose was to destroy them from the inside, then he believed her._ And anyway_, he rationalized, _she's a human_; what could she really do to him?

Slowly, unsure of how he would react, Raven took a step closer to him. She leaned up on her tiptoes so that her face was even with his – he was at least five inches taller than she – and gently kissed his lips. She could feel him struggling to keep his calm; when she looked into his eyes again, she could see the same intensity that she had last night, but she wasn't afraid now.

Logan's hands slid up her arms to the back of her neck, where they twined with the mass of her dark brown hair, and ran his tongue over her bottom lip. When his mouth pressed against hers again, she made a noise like a moan, and he felt a rush of satisfaction run through him. It was followed by a strange prickling sensation, making every hair on his body stand straight. _Ohno_, he thought, suddenly understanding what was happening, and managed to disengage himself from Raven's grasp.

"Logan?" she asked, her green eyes showing her confusion.

"Go on ahead of me," he gasped, forcing himself to avoid looking at her. He squinted at the massive expanse of snow they had come from, the sun's reflection glaring off its cold whiteness.

"But…" she began, but his sharp reply silenced her.

"Raven, dammit. Go!"

With only a moment's hesitation, Raven turned on her heel and started to pick her way down the slippery mountain trail, her tears turning cold on her wind-burned cheeks.


	11. Chapter 11

Hey, guys.....

Sorry this has been SOOOOO long in coming, but my PC crashed back in June, and I just got a new one a few weeks ago...also, I've been busy, as it was my big 3-0 about a week ago, so my family's been taking me places and celebrating...it's been fun! ANYwho....here are the next few chapters of the story. Enjoy as always, and please review!

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Chapter 11

Raven hurried on through the blinding snow, feeling the wind blowing against her body, chilling her skin until it became painful to the touch, but she didn't care. Since Logan had sent her away, she'd found herself wishing a dozen times that she could just give in to the cold, to simply lie down in a snow drift and fall asleep. It's not like he'd care, she thought to herself.

Raven had no family to speak of, no one who would miss her. Her father had left her and her mother when Raven was a toddler, refusing to act his part and be a responsible parent. Her mother had died by her own hand, after a long bout with severe depression. As a result, Raven went to live with family friends, and was quite happy for the entire time she lived there. At 17, Raven left her home for college, intending to enter the medical field. She soon found, however, that she had a strong aversion to blood, so she settled for psychology instead.

One day, when she went home for a visit, she found that her "family" was gone. They'd sold the house – and everything inside – and moved away. No one in town knew they'd even gone, much less where they'd moved to. So, alone once more, she soon met up with a small group of people who seemed to understand how she felt. Most of them seemed perfectly normal, and they were so friendly to her that she eventually found herself hanging out with them at every free moment. When she discovered that they were all mutants, she didn't even bat an eye; in fact, it only deepened her affection and respect for them. Many nights, she wished that being a mutant was like being a vampire, that they could "turn" her into one of them. At least then, she'd know how it was to feel accepted, to feel like she belonged somewhere.

Raven climbed into the jet that had brought her and Logan to this desolate place. It was warm inside, and she was grateful for it, though her skin stung even more in the warmth than it had outside in the bitter wind.

"Better not have frostbite," Raven muttered, blowing on her fingers.

The sudden crackle of the radio made her jump.

"Logan? Raven? Come in," Storm's voice surrounded Raven, seeming to envelop her in Storm's warm embrace.

Raven sat down and slid on the earpiece, then pressed a button on the jet's console.

"I'm here, Storm. Go ahead."

"Where's Logan?"

Raven rolled her eyes heavenward and inhaled slowly before replying, "He'll be here soon. I guess he had something to take care of."

"Of course he does," Storm scoffed. Then, she continued, "You'd better start getting back. There's a huge blizzard heading your way."

"Yeah, it's already started here," Raven grumbled, rubbing her fingers. At least they were still pink, and not blue – or even worse, white. She frowned at the console, unsure whether to ask the question Storm's tone had raised within her. Finally, she gave in to her curiosity.

"What's wrong?"

Storm was silent, and for a moment, Raven worried that the blizzard had interrupted the connection. Then, Storm spoke in a hushed tone.

"Bobby and some of the other children. They're…causing trouble."

Raven shrugged, and instantly felt silly for it since Storm couldn't see her. "Well, they are becoming young adults, right?"

"That's not quite it," Storm replied. "I've never seen them act this way before. Rogue said that she and Bobby got into an argument, that he actually hit her."

Raven's heart dropped into her stomach at that. Though she barely knew Storm and the kids at the school, she was fully aware of Bobby's gentle nature. Not to mention the fact that he adored Rogue; he'd rather cut off his own arm than harm her. When she'd regained her composure, she replied, "Okay, Storm. As soon as Logan gets back, we'll get back to NY and try to figure out what's going on."

"Thanks, Raven. Be careful."

Raven chuckled. "Too bad you're not here. The skies are awfully gray and heavy."

Storm managed a laugh in reply. "Bye, Raven."

"Bye, Storm. Raven out."

A voice behind her startled her, and she jumped to her feet, ready to attack.

"What's going on?"

Logan stood in the doorway, barely recognizable under an inch-thick coating of snow. Melting snow dripped from his leather jacket and black boots; his dark hair, which had curled ever so slightly from getting wet, sent rivulets of water down his face and neck.

Raven recovered herself and sat back down at the controls. She was still angry at him for abandoning her, but she decided to play it cool for now.

"Some of the kids back at the school are acting strangely. Storm needs our help."

Logan brushed himself off, an unconcerned look in his eyes. He pulled the jet's hatch shut and made sure it locked, then meandered back toward the front of the plane. Raven watched him, exasperated that he refused to quicken his pace, but she wisely kept silent.

"Well," he finally replied, "maybe it's just hormones."

Raven shook her head, sending a few water droplets out in a spray. Logan felt one hit his cheek, but he didn't move to wipe it away.

"That's what I suggested. But she says that Bobby actually hit Rogue."

Logan's eyes widened, then suddenly narrowed. His jaw clenched so tightly that she could hear his teeth grind together, and she could almost feel his anger in the air around them, crackling, like the radio had earlier.

"Start the jet. We've gotta get back," he snapped, buckling his seatbelt and leaning back in his seat, his eyes closed.

Raven reached for the correct switches to start the engines, then stopped herself and sat back, crossing her arms over her chest. It took Logan quite a few moments to realize that they weren't moving, but when he did, he turned his blazing gaze on her.

"What the hell're you doing? Start the damned plane!"

"No," she replied calmly.

"Why. Not?" Logan asked, his temper already beginning to rise within him.

Raven shrugged. "I don't appreciate being commanded to do something. Especially by you."

Logan sighed deeply. "Fine. Will you please start the jet and fly us home?"

"No."

That single word was all it took to send Logan's temper over the edge. He tried to lunge at her, forgetting the seatbelt that held him in his chair. He sliced through the restraints with the claws on one hand, and grabbed her throat with his unclawed one.

"What game are you playing here, woman? Tryin' to see how far you can push me?"

Raven didn't reply, so he shook her once. "I can't keep my control forever, Raven. Sooner or later, I kill whatever, or whoever, is in my way."

"Good! Then do it Logan, and save us both the trouble."

He stared into her eyes, trying to comprehend what she'd said, then released her throat. His claws retreated quickly, as if they themselves were ashamed.

Logan started the engines and managed to get the jet into the air, then set it on auto-pilot. All the while, Raven sat motionless, her eyes closed tightly. Her hands were folded in her lap, but they were trembling, and her skin was paler than usual. When he was sure the plane wouldn't crash into the ocean, Logan sat in his chair, ignoring the ripped seatbelt, and swiveled so that he was facing her. Tentatively, he reached out and placed his hand over both of hers.

"Raven? What's wrong?" He asked as softly as his gruff voice allowed. She opened her eyes, prompted by his gentle tone. When she finally lifted her gaze to his, he saw such sadness, so much confusion. He leaned forward and asked, "Why did you say that?"

"Because," she explained, "I'd rather be dead by you than be rejected by you."

He shook his head once, as if to clear it. "I never rejected you, Raven. I told you how much I…care…about you."

"Then why did you make me come back here alone?"

Grinning slightly, more in embarrassment than amusement, Logan replied, "Because I started to feel strange, like I did the other night. I knew if I didn't get you away from me quickly, I would've done something to you. Something I couldn't undo."

"But I didn't let you hurt me then. What makes you think this time would be different?"

"It was more intense this time. I didn't remember what happened the other night, but I know what I did today. And I know what I would've done if you'd been there."

Raven just sat there, feeling horribly selfish and immature. There were a million things that she wanted to say, but she barely felt worthy enough to be looking at him; her tongue felt suddenly heavy, as if her shame had turned it to stone.

Finally, she managed, "I'm sorry."

Logan gave her his lopsided grin, then leaned forward and gently kissed her lips.

"It's okay. I can see how you thought what you did. I haven't always been generous with my affection. Or very able to show that I have any, for that matter."

Raven smiled. "You got a point there." She glanced down at the map then, and said, "We're almost there."

"Good," Logan replied with a nod, and reclined once more, preparing for a quick catnap.

"So," she suddenly asked, "what exactly did you do out there?"

Logan opened one eye, and simply grinned.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Storm paced up and down the wide veranda, watching the clouds drift slowly across the sky. She still couldn't understand what was happening inside her school. Only a few of the children and teens were showing signs of violence, but there didn't seem to be a reason for it.

And then, there was Bobby.

He was normally so quiet and kind-hearted, Storm was baffled and hurt by his recent change. At the moment, he was locked in the sauna and guarded by Peter, but Storm could hear him shouting from where she stood, clear across the mansion. She could also hear him banging on the walls of his prison – each slam she heard felt like a punch to her stomach. But it had to be done, she mused, rubbing the bruise on her cheek. He was getting too out of control; even Peter had had trouble subduing him.

The roar of a jet engine suddenly filled the quiet countryside, and Storm felt relief slowly wash over her. Logan and Raven didn't bother to hide the jet under the basketball court; they chose instead to land the plane in the large field beside the mansion. Though she felt a sudden urge to rush forward to meet them, Storm resisted it and patiently waited for them on the porch.

As soon as Logan had climbed down the stairs from the plane, he sprinted to where Storm stood, his face twisted into an angry scowl.

"Where is he? If he hurt her –" he growled, but Storm stopped him with a hand on his arm.

"Rogue is fine, Logan," she assured him.

"Yeah?" He asked, still skeptical. Then, he noticed the purple mark on her cheek. "He do that?"

Storm nodded. "It's so strange. He doesn't seem to be inside himself when he acts out. It's like he's on auto-pilot, or something. He was so strong!" She took a breath, steadying herself, and Logan drew her into a hug. "He didn't mean it, Logan. He doesn't mean any of it."

"I know. We'll figure this out."

Raven stepped up onto the porch then, and Storm pulled out of Logan's grasp.

"Is that him yelling?" Raven asked, her head tilted slightly to the side.

"Yes. We had to restrain him somehow. Rogue suggested turning the sauna all the way up and barricading the door. It shouldn't have worked, but his mutant abilities seem to have weakened since this began."

"Storm," Logan asked suddenly, "what were she and Bobby fighting about when he attacked her?"

Storm frowned. "I'm not sure. She wouldn't really say. Why?"

"Where is she?"

"Upstairs. Logan, what is going on?"

Logan rushed into the house, without giving her a reply. Raven shrugged her shoulders at Storm and explained. "He has a hunch."

Storm simply shook her head and followed Raven up the steep wooden staircase inside the mansion.

"Rogue? Rogue, you in here?"

Logan peeked around the door frame and saw Rogue on her bed, a pair of ear buds in her ears. Though the music was still on – and at full blast, it seemed to him – she was fast asleep, curled up on her side, her arms wrapped around her stomach.

Whatever protective instincts he had suddenly welled up in him, and he had to mentally calm himself at the thought of anyone harming her. Quietly, he stepped over to the bed and glanced down, trying to find her mp3 player so he could shut it off. He followed the earphone cord with his eyes, until it disappeared under her hip.

"Too awkward," he murmured to himself. He decided to wake her up instead, so he bent down and gently shook her shoulder. Her eyes fluttered open, but when she saw a shadow looming over her, she struggled to jump out of bed. Logan grabbed her arms and held her down.

"Hey, it's okay," he said, hoping she didn't decide to scream and bring everyone running.

At the sound of his voice, Rogue stopped fighting, and she finally saw him sitting there, on the edge of her bed.

"Logan?" she asked, as if she didn't trust her own eyes.

"Yeah. Can you turn that thing off?" he asked, nodding toward her mp3 player. To his sensitive ears, it seemed as if her music was filling the room, and it was difficult to resist the urge to shout over it.

Rogue switched off the music, and Logan sighed in relief. She tugged the earphones out and set the player on her bedside table, as Logan asked, "Rogue, what were you and Bobby arguing about before…well, you know," he finished lamely.

She blushed and ducked her head, clearly embarrassed. "Um, just stuff. You know, girlfriend/boyfriend stuff."

"Marie."

Rogue's gaze snapped to Logan's face, and saw the stern-yet-concerned look plainly shown there. He only used her "real" name, if there was such a thing, when he was very upset. Logan cocked his eyebrow at her, and she knew it was his way of pleading with her.

"I know this is hard for you, but you need to tell me. It's kinda important."

She nodded and almost reached for his hand, but then stopped when she realized that her gloves were laying under her mp3 player. She toyed with the silky edge of her blanket instead.

"He'd been acting really weird all day, so I tried to distract him by taking him on a walk. When we were a little way down the bridle path, he kissed me, which was okay. I mean, we'd done that before." Logan nodded. "But then he tried to…well, he kept saying how much he wanted me and stuff. He even pushed me against this one tree. I told him that he was scaring me, but it was like he didn't hear me."

She took a deep breath, then continued at Logan sat completely still, though his anger seethed inside him like red-hot lava. "He started getting rough with me again, so I shoved him as hard as I could. He let me go, and we shouted back and forth for a few minutes. I finally told him that if he didn't stop, I wouldn't see him anymore. That's when he back-handed me. I was so scared, I just ran back to the house and found Storm."

Logan started to stand up, but Rogue grabbed hold of his jacket sleeve. "Please," she begged, "don't hurt him. He didn't…he wasn't…himself."

"I'm not gonna hurt him, Rogue. I think I have an idea of what's going on here."

He leaned his head out into the hall and called, "Raven, Storm, come in here!"

Both women quickly appeared, and he stepped out into the hall to speak with them.

"What is it, Logan?" Raven asked.

"You said you're keeping him in the sauna?" He questioned Storm, who nodded.

"Good," he said. "I'm gonna need something to knock him out. A tranquilizer or something."

Rogue had come into the hall behind him, and now she offered, "There's some bottles of horse tranquilizer in the stables."

Logan eyed her, then muttered, "Bobby must've rubbed off on you."

"What?"

He sighed. "Never mind." Turning back to Storm, he asked, "What about the Lab? There are drugs in there, aren't there?"

"Of course," she replied with a shrug.

"Okay. Could you fill up a syringe or two and bring 'em to me?"

"Why two?" Raven interjected.

"The way he is, we don't know how much adrenaline – and certain other hormones – are pumping through him right now. I'm not sure one needleful is gonna put him out."

Raven raised her eyebrows. "Good point. But won't too much kill him?"

"Dunno. No time to second-guess, though."

"What're you gonna do to him, Logan?" Rogue asked, her voice full of worry.

"Don't worry, kid. If this works, he'll be back to normal in no time."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

"Get me out of here!"

Bobby slammed his shoulder against the paneled wall of the sauna for what seemed like the thousandth time. Sweat poured down his face and neck, soaking him from his T-shirt to the waistband of his jeans. Blood trickled from his split knuckles and dripped to the floor. His usually placid blue eyes were blank with rage; his kind face was streaked on one side with the blood from his hand, leaving the impression that he was some two-faced monster, like Jekyll and Hyde.

Bobby thought he heard a noise outside, and threw himself at the door again. He suddenly felt a pop in his shoulder, followed by a burst of pain, but he merely winced. He needed to get out, pain or not, and find Her. He needed to claim Her as his own, to show everyone that he was not to be challenged.

"Let me out!" He shouted, and slammed against the door once more. He thought he felt it give a little, but before he could move to try again, a voice called back to him.

"Bobby! It's Logan. I'm coming in."

NO! His body screamed; Logan was a rival. He would challenge Bobby for Her. Logan would keep Her for himself. Bobby knew he couldn't let that happen.

"It's okay, Bobby."

Rogue.

She was there, out there with Logan.

Peter and Logan slid the barricade of boxes and desks away from the door, and Peter held the door closed with his massive body.

"Have fun, guys," Peter said, a sardonic smile on his lips. "I've got a headache from standing here for almost 7 hours, listening to him screaming and throwing himself around in there."

Storm reached up and patted his shoulder.

"Thank you, Peter. Why don't you go on upstairs and get some sleep?"

He nodded and switched places with Logan, then slowly made his way up the staircase to the second floor. When he was gone, Logan gazed seriously at the three women.

"If he gets out without me, do whatever it takes."

All three solemnly nodded, and he turned his attention back to the door. He took a few deep breaths, then quickly slipped into the room and slammed the door behind him. As soon as he was inside, the women pushed the barricade back into place and then found themselves someplace to sit and wait.

When his eyes adjusted to the dim light, Logan saw Bobby crouched in the corner, but he didn't sense fear coming from the boy. In fact, he could tell that Bobby was waiting for Logan to make a wrong move, to show his weakness so that Bobby could attack. And so that he could win.

Simply put, Bobby wanted Logan dead. The idea shocked Logan, but he had to focus on this task for now. There would be time to process the rest later.

"Bobby, I'm here to help you," Logan said, taking a step toward him.

"Yeah, right. You just wanna kill me so you can have her all to yourself."

Logan was puzzled. "Who? Rogue?"

"Who else?" Bobby spat, grinning without humor. "You've always been her idol, her favorite."

"No," Logan replied, shaking his head. "No, Bobby; it's not like that. She loves you. She wants to be with you."

"Only because I'm her age! Face it, Logan, she's settling for me because she can't have you!"

Logan watched in sympathy as Bobby hugged his knees to his chest, suffering silently. Logan knew that Bobby wouldn't give him the pleasure of knowing just how upset he was; he wouldn't let him think he was weak.

"Why don't you come out with me and as her yourself?" Logan asked with a shrug.

Bobby suddenly jumped to his feet and ran a hand through his damp hair, leaving a red streak behind. His eyes sparked for an instant, before returning to the empty stare, and it intrigued Logan. He realized now what they reminded him of – a shark on the hunt. Or a wolf just before it attacks, Logan thought.

Before he even had time to finish the thought, Logan was on his back, staring up into Bobby's face. The boy's lips curled into a sneer, and he lifted his foot to stomp on Logan's chest. Logan rolled away at the last second and got to his feet. He had to concentrate on not becoming enraged, on not losing control, so that he wouldn't hurt Bobby. So far, it was proving exceedingly difficult.

Bobby punched Logan in the jaw, ignorant of the fact that he'd split his own knuckles even wider, and was now bleeding quite profusely. Logan was surprised to find that the punch had actually hurt him, despite his adamantium skeleton. Storm was right, he mused; Bobby was extremely strong.

Though he was quickly losing blood, Bobby wasn't ready to give up. He grabbed Logan's head and slammed it into the wall as hard as he could, making the entire sauna shake. Logan countered this with a kick to Bobby's kneecap, almost congratulating himself when he heard something snap. He shook his head to clear his swimming vision, and walked toward Bobby, who was now sitting on the long bench, clutching his knee and fairly roaring in pain. Logan felt a twinge of guilt when he caught a glimpse of something white poking through Bobby's jeans, but he couldn't stop now.

Bobby saw him coming, and screamed, "Get the hell away from me, Logan!"

Logan kept coming, his expression neutral. He grabbed Bobby's arm and pulled the syringes out of his inside pocket. He popped the caps off the needles, and Bobby started to struggle once more, his eyes now full of fear.

"Sorry," was all Logan said as he plunged the needles full of clear fluid into Bobby's arm.

Bobby continued to fight until the medication took effect, and when his eyes finally slid closed and his body went limp, Logan heaved a sigh.

"Okay, girls. He's down!" He shouted, and immediately heard the boxes being pushed away from the door. Soon after, the door itself swung open, and Logan stepped out with Bobby cradled in his arms.

"Oh my God, Logan! What did you do to him?" Raven asked, her face ashen.

Logan was offended by the question, but he merely replied, "I barely touched him. He did most of that himself. The kneecap is my fault, though," he finished with a shrug.

"Let's get him to the Lab," Storm said then. "We've got to stop that bleeding."


	14. Chapter 14

Raven and Rogue sat on a porch swing on the mansion's back deck, listening to the crickets chirping to each other through the darkness. Two tall glasses of lemonade sat on the table, drops of condensation sliding slowly down the outside until they reached the table's surface, where they pooled around the bottom of the glasses.

"Do you think he'll be okay?" Rogue finally asked, pulling her legs up on the swing. Her eyes were full of concern, and Raven wanted to tell her she knew just how she felt. Instead, she nodded.

"Logan and Storm are taking good care of him. He'll be fine. Well, except for the broken kneecap."

Rogue smiled at that, but then grew serious again.

"Do you guys have any idea of what's going on here?"

Raven almost shook her head, but she realized that Rogue deserved the truth, especially after what she'd been through. She nodded hesitantly.

"Maybe. The same kind of thing has happened to Logan a few times."

"So why is it happening? What is it?"

Raven shrugged. "Don't know. But we think it has something to do with The Brotherhood."

Rogue seemed confused. "Why's that?"

"Because. I used to work for them." At Rogue's shocked expression, Raven assured her, "Don't worry. I only did it to destroy them. Y'know, from the inside."

"Like a spy. No, like a double agent, right?"

"Right."

They sat in silence for a while, enjoying the warm night, until they glimpsed Logan through the kitchen's sliding glass door. He was wiping his hands on a rag, seemingly lost in thought, at least until his gaze found Raven's. Tossing the rag down on the countertop, he opened the sliding door and came outside to join them. He leaned up against one of the immense pillars that held up the porch roof.

"Well," he rumbled, "he's gonna be laid up for a while, but I think that'll be the worst of it."

"What was wrong with him?" Rogue asked, and he gazed at her with the same fatherly look that he'd had earlier that day.

"As far as I can tell, his hormones were all out of whack. His testosterone was nearly off the chart, and his adrenaline wasn't far behind."

"But why?" Raven asked, confused. Logan merely shrugged.

"Storm's running a few more tests. Maybe we'll find out after they come back."

Rogue stood and picked up her glass of lemonade, and started to go inside.

"Where you goin'?" Logan asked her.

"To go see him," she replied matter-of-factly.

"Oh no, you're not."

Rogue narrowed her eyes, then crossed her arms, ready to defy him at a word. Logan knew her game, however. She wasn't going to win this round, not by a long shot.

"He's got an extremely high fever," he explained, "not to mention that we still don't know what's causing this. It could be something airborne…"

She gave in, though Logan could tell she was struggling with herself.

"Fine. I'm going to bed, then."

Logan exchanged a knowing glance with Raven, who just happened to "choose" that moment to go check on Sonya and some of the other kids. She chastely kissed Logan's cheek, then slipped into the house and disappeared around a corner.

"Hey," Logan said as he used his shoulder to push himself away from the pillar. He sat down on the porch swing and patted the seat beside him. "C'mere."

Rogue sat beside him and set her lemonade back down. She stared into his eyes, waiting.

"I know you love him, and you're worried about him. But you can't put yourself in danger for it. Bobby wouldn't want that."

"I know," she agreed, and lay her head on his shoulder. His mind automatically flashed back to the time she'd run away, when he'd found her on the train and promised to always take care of her.

"You know," he began, "you've grown up quite a bit since I found you hiding in the back of my trailer."

"Thanks. And thanks for bringing that up again." She stuck her tongue out at him, and he grinned.

"I'm just saying that I'm really proud of you, that's all. If I ever had a daughter, I'd want her to be like you."

Rogue was stunned silent for a few moments. She'd never gotten such a compliment before, and wasn't quite sure how to reply.

"Wow," she finally remarked, "I never knew you were so deep, Logan."

Anyone else would've been hurt by her remark, but he actually chuckled.

"Yeah, well, don't tell anyone, especially Raven. Gotta keep my 'image'."

"What image is that? Old and grouchy?"

"Watch it, kid. I'm not…grouchy," he finished with a wink. "Well, you'd better get off to bed, Miss Marie. It's late."

Rogue stood up and yawned. "Yeah. Good night, Logan."

"G'night, Kid."

Logan sat outside for an hour after Rogue had gone in, trying to understand the past few days' events. He even ran back through his memory – however much he had, anyway – to see if he could recall any vital piece of information, but he came up empty. Logan growled impatiently at himself. He'd much rather find something out later, and not be able to stop something from happening, than know he could possibly have the key, but not be able to remember where it was.

"Something wrong?"

Logan turned toward the stairs that led down into the gardens. Raven stood there, her hair braided neatly down her back. The memory of the dark-haired, laughing woman swam into his vision, only to fade as quickly as it had come.

"I like your hair," Logan said lamely, and mentally kicked himself for being such an idiot. His comment, however, brought a genuine smile to Raven's lips, and he couldn't help but grin as well. She reached back and touched the braid, then continued up the stairs.

"Thanks," she said, "Sonya insisted that she had to practice on me."

At the mention of the girl's name, Logan's smile became a firm line.

"How is she? What'd she say?" He asked, and Raven grinned sympathetically.

"She's fine, and she'll help as long as you are the only other one there." Before he could open his mouth, she hurriedly added, "I didn't ask and she didn't say."

"Okay."

They stood facing each other for a full three minutes before Logan finally got restless and began to pace around the porch.

"Logan," Raven said as she jumped up onto the wide railing that surrounded the patio, "what's bothering you?"

At first, he didn't reply. Then, slowly, he sighed and said, "I don't understand why you're still here."

Raven didn't hide her hurt feelings this time. "Well, I thought you needed the information that's supposedly in my head – "

He cut her off with a raised hand. "No. I mean here, on this porch." After the words were out of his mouth, he realized how it sounded, and he moved to stand in front of her, effectively cutting off any retreat should he say anything more asinine.

"That's…that didn't come out right. What I meant was, how can you possibly trust me enough to be out here alone with me? Especially after what happened the other night?"

Raven gazed directly into his eyes. "I guess I just do, Logan." She hopped down from her perch and wrapped her arms around a nearby pillar. Her voice became softer, almost dreamy as she spoke. "My parents are both gone – they have been for years. I never really made a lot of friends, at least not human ones. But the birds outside my window, well, they were a different story. They're very untrusting, usually. But they soon discovered that if they wanted a piece of bread, they had to trust me. They had to believe that I wouldn't suddenly close my hand and crush them. What I didn't know was that when I tamed them, they'd come to anyone who called them.

"A neighbor who was sick of them eating his corn called to them, and they went. He killed all of them except a tiny goldfinch, and from then on, he would never come to me. He'd never trust a human again. For a while, I became like the birds when it came to trusting people. It took a while to earn my trust, and if you screwed me over, that was it. But then I realized that everyone messes up now and then, and I believed in people more. I learned to trust myself, to listen to my gut – as you'd put it – and now I can tell the people who will let me down from the ones who won't."

Her voice barely above a whisper now, she added, "You're one of the ones who won't, Logan."

Logan shook his head sadly. "How do you know?"

"I just do." She yawned suddenly, barely able to cover it in time. "We should get some sleep. We can talk more tomorrow."

"Yeah," Logan agreed. "I'll take the couch."

She spun around so fast that she felt dizzy afterward. "Oh no, you won't. I will not have you having nightmares –" she held up one of his hands to indicate his claws "– in the living room."

"I see your point. No pun intended. But what about our little problem?"

She shrugged and walked into the house. "Do what you did to Bobby."

"Kick myself in the knee?" He grinned, but she rolled her eyes at his sense of humor.

"Funny. Do you juggle, too?" she asked as he shut the glass door behind him. "No, I mean give yourself a dose of tranquilizer."

Logan considered it as he followed her up the long staircase. "Okay," he finally replied, "but you'll have to give it to me."

"Why?"

"I don't like needles."

Raven burst out laughing, and had to stop and press her hand against her mouth to keep from getting too loud. She didn't want to wake all the sleeping kids.

After she had settled down, she turned to glance at him. "The man who has faced Magneto and the Brotherhood, with nothing more than a set of metal claws, can't handle sticking a needle into his own arm?"

Logan pouted. "I don't see the irony, Raven. Yes, I have claws. But they come out of my skin; they don't go in. There's a difference."

"If you say so," she replied with a grin.

When they reached his room, Logan entered first, and wearily ran his hand through his brown hair. Raven could tell from that simple gesture that something else was on his mind, but she decided not to push it. She'd rather take the chance that he'd never voice his thoughts, than risk upsetting him again. _At least_, she thought, _until this whole situation gets cleared up_.

She pointed to the bed and said, "You get comfortable, and I'll be right back."

"Yes, Doctor," he said with a leering grin.

"Don't be such a creep, Logan," she countered, and left the room.

Logan sat on the edge of the bed, untied his boots, and peeled off his leather jacket and jeans, leaving him in only a tank shirt and boxers. He lay back on the fluffy pillows, lacing his fingers behind his head, and stared up at the empty ceiling. His mind wandered aimlessly, and he soon found himself thinking about Raven. About her hair, her smile, her…

_Change the subject, Logan_, he scolded himself. That train of thought was dangerous right now. As long as he had a choice, he wouldn't allow himself to lose control again. He couldn't let anything happen to Raven, especially not by his hand. He couldn't live with himself if he did, he was sure of that.

Logan heard her coming long before she even reached the bottom of his staircase, but he waited patiently for her to reach the top and enter the room.

"I've got it, Logan," she murmured. She was unable to see his face clearly in the light from the single bulb overhead, and wasn't sure he was still awake.

"Okay," he replied, sitting upright on the bed. "Let's get it over with."

Raven smiled and came to stand beside him. "I just hope I got enough."

"Don't worry. I'm so worn out, this is probably just an extra precaution."

He watched as she rubbed an alcohol pad over his upper arm, then removed the syringe's safety cap and held the needle above his arm.

"Ready?"

Logan simply nodded.

"Wait!" he said, just as she was about to administer the medicine. Raven sighed. _He'd better not pull this all night_, she thought.

He eyed the syringe and asked, "It's not horse tranquilizer, is it?"

"Nope. And before you ask, I'm sure it's not. Now, stop stalling."

"Sorry," he grumbled. A few moments later, he still hadn't felt the sting of the needle, so he turned to ask Raven what had happened. His vision swam as he turned his head, and his eyelids suddenly became very heavy.

"Why didn't you do it yet?" he asked her.

Her reply sounded far away, though he could see her pulling back the covers right beside him.

"I already did. Come on," she said, taking his arm and helping him into a comfortable position. When his head settled into the pillow, she lay down beside him, and he wrapped his arms around her waist. He pulled her toward him, struggling to keep his eyes open for one more minute. When she was close enough, he gently kissed her lips.

"I do love you, Raven. Just…afraid…" he whispered.

Raven frowned. "Afraid of what, Logan?"

His eyes closed, and he replied, "Losing you."

Any questions Raven had for him would have to wait.

Logan was fast asleep.


	15. Chapter 15

When Bobby first opened his eyes, he didn't know where he was. It definitely wasn't his bedroom – the walls were white here, not the rich paneling he was used to – and his first instinct was to get up and try to figure out where this place was, and why he was here. He moved his legs, preparing to swing them over the side of his bed, but a searing pain in his left knee made him stop.

"Welcome back, Bobby," a soft female voice greeted him from the doorway. He craned his neck to see who it was, but intense pain gripped his shoulder as he moved, and he gasped involuntarily.

Storm moved to stand beside the bed, and felt his forehead. He was slightly warm, but she decided that his fever had broken. Bobby gazed up at her, his eyes fearful.

"Where am I?"

"In the Lab downstairs." He moved again, but she placed her hand on his chest to stop him. "Don't try to get up. You're pretty banged up."

"What happened? The last thing I remember is walking in the woods with Rogue."

Storm hesitated to tell him anything, not wanting to upset him. Avoiding his gaze and smoothing the bandage on his right hand, she merely replied, "You were very ill. But you're better now."

"Ill? I've never been sick in my life. It's why my parents suspected I was…different," he said, gazing up at the cold, pale ceiling.

Storm knew how she felt. Her own family had been less than understanding when she discovered her own abilities. They'd had no trouble deciding that she was better off somewhere else, somewhere far away from them.

"Where's Rogue?" Bobby asked then, and she turned her chocolate-brown eyes to his face, inwardly glad to see that it had regained its kind, open features.

"Sleeping. It's still very early in the morning." Then, before he could reply, she added, "As soon as she's awake, I'll bring her down to see you."

"Thanks," he said, giving her a small smile. But soon, the smile turned into a wince.

"What's wrong?"

"My knee. It feels like a truck ran over it."

With a knowing smile, Storm simply asked, "Do you want something for the pain?"

He nodded emphatically. "I'm not usually such a wuss."

"You've been through a lot, Bobby. I'm not sure I'd be as alert as you are right now, if it were me. You're very strong."

Something in her voice made him look at her. He saw the bruise on her face, and a very faint memory formed at the back of his mind. His stomach felt very hollow as he asked, "Did I do that to you?"

Storm took a deep breath before whispering, "Yes."

Bobby's eyes slid closed, and a single tear slipped down his face and disappeared into his auburn hair. Storm's heart ached for him. She could only imagine how he would react when he learned of everything else he'd done. _It might change him_, she mused sadly; _and not for the better_.

Storm quietly moved to the other side of the room to prepare some medication for his pain. She wanted to talk to him more, but she knew that it wouldn't help. He needed to be alone with his thoughts, for now.

"Do you hate me?" She heard him ask suddenly, and she turned quickly to look at him.

"No, Bobby! I could never hate you."

"But I –"

"You weren't yourself. It was an accident," she interrupted, stepping back over to his bed. She carefully turned his left arm over, found a vein, and slid the needle into his skin. When she pushed the plunger down, he felt a cooling sensation spread from his arm into the rest of his body, and he suddenly felt very tired.

Storm noticed his eyes becoming heavy, and she gazed softly down at him. "Go to sleep now. I'll stay here with you."

"Storm," Bobby said, barely above a whisper, "I'm sorry."

Tears glistening in her eyes, she whispered back, "It's all right."

Bobby's eyes finally closed, and he fell sleep with a small smile on his lips.

XXXXX

Logan stood in a field full of tall grass and wildflowers, staring at an ancient oak tree. Its twisted branches hung almost to the ground, weighed down by its mass of green, lush leaves. A light-colored patch on its thick trunk caught his eye, and he stepped forward to get a closer look.

A heart was carved into the bark, its outline carefully chipped out and shaped until it was perfectly rounded where it should be. There were names chiseled into the center of the heart, but time had worn them mostly away. All Logan could make out was an L, a plus sign, and a C.

Suddenly, a memory stirred in him, and he spun around to gaze back at the field. He'd been there before, he realized, though he didn't know when or why. He reached down and ran a hand through the waist-high grass, savoring the quiet whisper the blades made when they moved, then raised his face to the sky and watched a few clouds slowly drifting across the pale blue sky. The sun was hot, but to him it felt like nothing more than a warm caress on his stubbled cheek; for some reason, the entire place felt like Peace to him, and he wondered idly if maybe he'd died, if this was Heaven.

"It's not," a voice said from behind him, and he turned around.

"Sonya?" he asked, obviously startled that she should be there, in his dream.

Sonya stepped around the oak tree until she faced the carving. Tracing the heart with her finger, she remarked, "You spent a lot of time on this."

Logan came to stand beside her. "I don't remember this place. It seems a little familiar, but…"

Her brown eyes found his, and though there was a smile on her face, her tone was serious.

"I know. The memories are buried deep inside. You only remember when you're dreaming, and even then, everything is fuzzy and scattered. Like a bunch of old photos."

"So, how'd you get here?"

Her grin widened. "You think that you enjoy being alone, but you really don't. Not deep down, anyway." She wandered over to a patch of white phlox and broke off a few stalks, adding, "I wanted to keep you company."

Her explanation seemed rational, as far as those go in dreams, so he merely shrugged.

"Oh," was all he said. He watched her pick an armful of daisies and sit down on the grass, intending to weave them into a chain.

"You want to help?" She finally asked, holding a small bunch out to him.

"Sure," he nodded, and sat beside her. His fingers, as big as they were, deftly began to braid the flowers into a delicate wreath. After a while, he was startled to realize that he never knew how to do what he was doing, and he told Sonya as much. She didn't even look up as she answered him.

"You did, once, but you forgot. She taught you how."

Logan frowned. "Who? The woman I keep seeing?"

Sonya nodded.

"What's her name, Sonya?"

"I don't know," she replied with a small shrug. "You won't let yourself remember some things. Including her name."

Logan stopped weaving, and she stopped as well. Her hands were tired, anyway. He stared into her honest face.

"But I want to."

She shook her head. "Consciously, you do. But somewhere in that thick metal skull of yours –" he shot her a look at this "—you've hidden many things on purpose. Maybe they're too painful, or maybe you figured remembering your past would slow you down. Either way, you're the only one who can unlock those memories."

"How?" He asked, frustrated.

Sonya carefully placed her daisy chain on the ground beside her, and then got on her knees in front of him, placing her small, soft hands on his shoulders.

"If I knew that, I would be you. I can only help you remember the things near the surface of your mind." She looked over her shoulder, and saw that the sun had sunk below the top of the oak tree. She turned back to Logan, smiling again. "It's almost time to go. If you don't remember anything else about this, I want you to remember this, Logan – you're never alone."

Then, she leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. Logan's eyes closed, overwhelmed by her gentle, innocent presence, and when he opened them again, he found himself laying in his bed, Raven sleeping quietly beside him.

Logan touched his cheek, certain that he could still feel the warmth of Sonya's kiss there. Raven woke when he moved, and smiled softly at him.

"Sleep well?" she asked, then added, "You must have, 'cause we're both still alive."

When he didn't reply with a comeback of his own, she raised herself on her elbow and stared at him.

"Logan? You okay?"

He realized then that his hand was still pressed to his face, so he moved it to her waist and replied, "Yeah. Just thinkin'. Sorry."

"That's all right. Good dream?"

"What?" he asked, puzzled, but she simply laughed.

"Never mind," she said, sliding out of the bed and pulling on her jeans, which had been laying at the foot of the bed next to Logan's clothes. She caught him eyeing her suspiciously, and tossed his jeans at his head.

"Your room is like an oven, made worse by the fact that you are your own heat source. I was hot."

"Uh-huh," he replied as he slid into his jeans, and she wished she had something else to throw at him. "Well, I dunno about you, but I could use a beer."

Raven stared at him incredulously. "It's eight-thirty in the morning."

"So?"

She made a noise in her throat and finished zipping up her boots. "I'm going to find Storm and see how Bobby's doing. You go do whatever you want."

She could hear Logan's chuckle all the way down the stairs, and she couldn't keep a smile from finding its way to her lips. By the time she'd made her way to the first floor, Raven had mentally made a list of a dozen of Logan's positive qualities, not the least of which was his obvious magnetism to children. Raven had grinned when she thought of that one; since she'd first met him, he had always grumbled about kids – or "rugrats" as he called them – yet here he was, surrounded by them.

Rogue and Logan had always been close, but now she was nearly an adult, with a boyfriend to shower her with affection. In turn, her relationship with Logan had evolved into a more casual one. Oh, she still adored him, but now she saw him as someone akin to an uncle – someone who protected her like a father would, but who didn't have a father's rules or expectations.

Now, when Sonya had needed him, he'd been there for her. Raven wasn't naïve enough to think that he was replacing Rogue in some sort of selfish need to make up for his less-than-perfect past. She could see that he truly cared for the younger girl, and only wanted to help her because she needed him to.

Back when she'd first come into the mansion, there was something about Sonya that nagged at Raven, something that seemed familiar somehow, but she'd never made the connection.

Now, however, was a different story.

Raven stopped in her tracks, just outside the kitchen, and gasped like she'd just been slapped in the face. She couldn't believe she'd missed it before. She spun on her heel and made her way toward the elevator to the basement, pushing back the myriad of fears that threatened to overwhelm her.

XXXXX

Okay, I know I left it in a very confusing, cliffhanger-y place...I did that on purpose. *Laughs evilly* I just realized that this story is going to be incredibly long the way it's going, so I'm gonna start increasing the chapter length so there won't be like, 40 chapters. Anyway, please read and review...I loves me some feedback!


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Storm was just leaving the lab to see if Rogue was awake, when she saw Raven striding purposefully toward her. Raven's expression was dark, almost angry, and it sent a shock of worry through Storm's slender body.

"What's wrong?" She asked Raven as she finally met her, halfway down the long corridor.

"We missed it, Storm. It wasn't obvious, but I should've known…"

"Missed what?"

Raven heaved in a breath, collecting her jumbled thoughts, before she replied, "It's Sonya. She's the key to this."

Storm was clearly confused. "How? Raven, I don't understand."

"Well, it wasn't her fault, actually. But I was remembering how Logan had taken care of her when she fell ill, how close he was to her. And later, when she seemed to be better, Bobby had watched her for a while. Those two were the most affected."

Finally understanding where Raven was going, Storm said, "Sonya had a high fever. I thought it was just her abilities emerging."

Raven nodded. "It was, to a certain extent. I think the onset of her powers was the trigger to release some sort of virus – one that affects the adrenal glands, elevating their hormones until they overwhelm the rational thought processes –"

"– So whoever is affected becomes both irrational and violent," Storm interjected. "But why? And who put it there?"

Raven shrugged. "I'm not sure on the 'why', but I can guess who – the Brotherhood."

"Of course," Storm sighed, shaking her head. "So, what do we do?"

"Right now, nothing," she raised her hand to keep Storm from replying. "We need to take care of the children first, as usual. We'll discuss a plan when they're in class. Can you find someone to fill in for you?"

Storm nodded.

"Okay. Where were you going, anyway?"

"to see if Rogue wanted to see Bobby. He's been asking for her since he woke up, early this morning."

Raven smiled at Storm's exasperation, and offered, "You go ahead and get her, and I'll go keep him company."

"Thank you, Raven."

Raven simply nodded and walked toward the lab, as Storm headed for the elevator. When she entered the room, Bobby glanced over to see who it was.

"Where's Rogue?" he asked impatiently. Raven grinned; she knew how he felt. When she reached his bedside, she hooked the nearby folding chair with her foot and dragged it closer, then sat down on it.

"Storm's going to find her right now. It'll be a few minutes."

Bobby seemed as if he wanted to say something, but then he turned his head toward the wall. Perceptively, Raven stated, "You remember something."

Still turned away, he nodded. Raven carefully placed her hand on his, inwardly angry at whoever had masterminded this whole thing. If there was one Universal rule, it was that you didn't mess with kids. Or, at least, it should be.

"Bobby," she said to him, "it's not your fault."

He turned back to stare at her, his eyes blazing. "Like hell, it isn't! I would've killed her if she hadn't run away. I was so angry at her."

"Maybe. But it wasn't you controlling your thoughts. We think it was a virus running through you. It's why you had a fever. Your body was trying to fight it off."

He seemed to accept that, because his face relaxed somewhat, and he heaved in a sigh.

"I was worried that Rogue wouldn't want to see me."

Raven nodded. "She does. She loves you, Bobby. Nothing could change that."

Bobby smiled, raising his hands in a 'what're ya gonna do' gesture.

"So, how do you feel?" she asked him.

"Like I was in a cage match with Logan." When he saw her expression, he eyed her suspiciously. "Oh, no. What happened?"

Raven chuckled. "You were in a cage match with Logan, sort of. Actually, it was more of a sauna match."

"Is he the one who dislocated my shoulder?"

"No. But he did break your kneecap."

Bobby nodded at that. "Well, thank him for that, will ya?"

"Well, in his defense, you were kinda out of control. He didn't want to hurt you."

"I know," Bobby said quietly.

Raven heard someone coming down the hall then, and she stood up and patted his good shoulder, bringing a small smile to his face.

"I think Rogue and Storm are coming. I need to go anyway."

She turned to leave, but he took hold of her hand, so she turned back to him questioningly.

"Thanks, Raven."

"You're welcome," she replied, just as Rogue entered the room, closely followed by Storm. Bobby released her hand, and she smiled at Rogue, who returned the smile as she walked past her. When Raven reached Storm, she motioned for them to step into the hall.

"I'm going to find Logan, to fill him in on everything," Raven said when they were out of hearing.

"All right. We can meet in my office at ten, if that's okay?"

Raven nodded. "Sure. We'll be there."

"Good."

"Keep an eye on those two, okay?" Raven said as she walked away.

"I will," Storm called after her.

Raven found Logan in the stables, where he and Sonya were petting the horses and talking. She watched them silently, smiling at the soft expression in Logan's normally calculating eyes, at the way he gently stroked the nose of the black mare they stood before. It was funny to her that the same animals that normally feared predators were soothed by Logan, even nosing him for a hidden treat.

Sonya noticed Raven first, and said, "Wanna pet her? Her name's Queen."

Raven stepped over to the stall, giving Sonya a smile. The girl moved aside to make room for Raven to stand between her and Logan. Raven reached out her hand to touch the mare, and was surprised when the horse gently pressed her nose into her palm first. It was even softer than she'd imagined, like the finest velvet, and the mare's warm breath that caressed Raven's skin felt like a gentle summer wind.

"Hello, Queen," Raven breathed, gazing into the mare's expressive chocolate eyes.

"How's Bobby?" Logan asked then, and she turned to look at him.

"Awake, and upset at himself for what happened." Then, she smiled and added, "He says to thank you for the knee."

Logan's jaw clenched as he remembered the events in the sauna. He really hadn't wanted to hurt the boy, but he did want to incapacitate him. Breaking his knee had seemed like the only option at the time.

Knowing what Logan was thinking, Raven placed her hand on his arm.

"He'll be okay, Logan."

"I hope so," he replied as he turned back to Queen and ran his fingers through her silken mane, his thoughts still in turmoil.

Sonya had been watching them talk, and felt ever more uncomfortable being there, as if she were an intruder. She could tell that Logan cared very much for Raven – even a normal human could see that – but she knew him well enough to know that he could shut away his feelings in a moment. From all outward appearances, Raven seemed to feel the same for him, but Sonya couldn't get any sort of mental reading from her. Either Raven had discovered a way to block telepathy from affecting her, or…well, to be honest, Sonya couldn't think of another option.

"Um," she finally said aloud, "I should go."

It was Raven who objected, which surprised Sonya. "Please stay, Sonya. I'm the one who interrupted you two."

Sonya looked to Logan, to gauge his expression, but he kept his faced neutral. She kicked at the sawdust floor, unsure of what to do.

"I just figured you wanted to talk alone," she murmured.

Raven gazed around the stable, trying to find the right words to explain. "Actually, what I need to say involves you, so you should be here."

Her statement startled Logan, and he didn't bother to hide his reaction. Narrowing his eyes slightly, he asked, "What do you mean? What's goin' on?"

Raven took a deep breath. She was never very good at explaining things, so she had to think very carefully before she began to speak.

"Well, you remember when I first came here…"

"You mean when you broke in?" He growled quietly.

"Fine. Broke in," she said with a nod. "I was looking for something to tell my why the Brotherhood wanted Sonya."

"Raven," he warned her, and she realized that she was starting to ramble, so she got to the point.

"I think they genetically engineered Sonya, using female human DNA and mixing it with mutant male DNA. And I think they also engineered a virus in her, one that would activate when her abilities emerged. The only think I don't understand, is why they did it. What their ultimate purpose was for the virus, I mean."

Sonya looked at each of them, suddenly feeling fearful. "So what's happening is my fault? I made Bobby sick?"

Logan went over to her and knelt down in front of her, taking hold of her arms. Though his voice was stern, his eyes were full of compassion.

"No, Sonya. It isn't your fault. The Brotherhood did this, not you."

"But –" she began, but he gripped her tighter and cut her off.

"Sonya, stop. We're gonna find a way to fix it. But you're gonna need to help us, and to do that, you need to be strong and calm. Can you do that?"

Sonya's eyes found Raven, whose gaze was hopeful, and then shifted back to Logan. His expression almost mirrored Raven's, and it brought tears to Sonya's eyes.

"Yes," she replied with a nod.

"Okay." He hesitated for a moment, then pulled her into a hug, his huge arms completely enveloping her slender body. She wrapped her arms around his neck, breathing in the scent of his cologne mixed with the sweet smell of the hay in the stable. It was a mixture that made her feel comforted, warm; it reminded her of her childhood somehow, though no specific memory surfaced.

When she finally pulled away from him, she stood up straight and brushed a stray piece of hay from her shirt. Logan gave her a bright smile and also stood.

Raven checked her watch, then said, "We're supposed to meet Storm in her office in five minutes. We should probably go." She looked at Sonya. "You should come, too."

"Okay," the girl replied. She gave Queen a final pat, and then led the way down the aisle between the stalls. Raven trailed behind Logan, her mind stuck on a single thought; she couldn't figure out what the Brotherhood was up to, but Pyro had said that her mind held the answer.

She just hoped they could discover that answer soon.

Her gut was telling her that something much worse was about to occur.

XXXXX

Storm was pacing around her office when Logan, Raven, and Sonya entered the room, each of them wearing a different expression. Logan's gaze was one of quiet anger, like a dormant volcano. He would keep his control for now, but when the time came, there would be an explosion rivaling the Apocalypse. Raven seemed to be shifting between unease and frustration, as if she couldn't understand what was happening and felt helpless to stop it.

When Storm looked at Sonya, she felt like bursting out into tears. The girl's face was full of guilt, yet her eyes held out a shred of hope. Suddenly, Storm had an urgent need to find out what they all knew.

Storm sat behind her desk and beckoned for them to sit as well. Raven and Sonya both found chairs to sit on, but Logan took his usual spot, leaning against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest. She couldn't keep a small grin from stealing onto her lips. Logan was most definitely a creature of habit.

When they were all comfortable, Storm began the meeting.

"What do we know?" she asked, looking first to Logan. As much as neither of them wanted to admit it, he was the unofficial leader of the X-Men now that Scott was gone. Storm was in charge of the school, but she was more than glad to let Logan lead in everything else. He was more than capable, she was sure of that.

"Well," he replied, shooting a quick glance at Raven, "we know that the Brotherhood were after Sonya. We know that only those who came in close contact with her were suddenly affected by this virus, or whatever it is. And we know that it makes them violent."

"What we aren't sure of," Raven interjected, "is what their ultimate goal was in creating the virus. Or why they wanted Sonya."

"But you have a theory?" Storm asked, to which Raven nodded.

"We think they 'made' Sonya, and implanted the virus. They wanted to get her back to either further their experiment, or…"

Logan pushed off of the wall and turned to look at Raven. "Or what?"

Raven stared straight at him and replied, "Or to end the experiment altogether."

"You mean, they wanna kill her?" he growled.

"Possibly." She turned her gaze to Sonya, who was now trembling in her seat. Raven placed her hand over Sonya's hoping it would reassure her, but she still shook.

"What are our options, then?" Storm asked, again looking to Logan.

He sighed and rubbed a hand through his thick, brown hair. "We read Raven's mind, try to see if she knows what their plans are."

Storm was confused. "But how? Only the Professor and Jean could…"

"I can do it," Sonya interrupted. "I found out by accident a few days ago."

"Is it safe?"

Sonya shrugged.

"The only other way is to find the Brotherhood," Logan stated. "Somehow, I doubt they'll be too willing to talk."

Storm sighed. Things were definitely not going the way she'd hoped. What did you really expect? She asked herself. Nothing is ever easy when the Brotherhood is involved. After a few moments, she nodded slowly.

"All right. Do whatever you need to, but be careful."

Logan nodded in return before turning to Sonya and asking, "You sure about this? You might not like what you see."

Sonya surprised him by chuckling softly. "After looking into your mind, I don't think Raven's thoughts will bother me too much."

He shot her a troubled look, but her smile didn't fade. Finally, he threw up his hands in surrender.

"Okay. Let's get this nightmare over with."

They decided to go to Logan's room, since they wouldn't be interrupted there. Sonya directed Raven to lie down on Logan's bed, and to try to fall asleep. It would be easier to access Raven's subconscious when she was dreaming, Sonya explained.

Logan stood leaning against the door frame, willing himself to keep still so he wouldn't disturb them. This whole idea still didn't sit well with him, but it seemed to be the only way to gather the needed information.

As Raven lay there, she doubted whether she could actually fall asleep, since she didn't feel very tired. She had to try, however, so she made herself relax, breathing deeply and letting her mind go blank. To her surprise, she soon felt herself drifting off, and let herself be overtaken by the sensation.

When Raven was fully asleep, Sonya perched on the edge of the bed and also closed her eyes. In a quiet voice, she addressed Logan.

"If anything bad happens, you need to wake me up first. Waking Raven before me could harm her."

"But won't waking you harm you?" he asked.

She shook her head so slowly he hardly noticed.

"The connection is being made form my end. It has to be broken from my end, too."

Again he felt like stopping the procedure, but his need to know overrode his better judgment.

"Okay," he murmured, and shifted his weight to his other leg.

Sonya relaxed her body, and her mind slowly followed suit. Soon, she had the feeling that her surroundings had changed, that she was no longer in Logan's attic bedroom. She opened her eyes and found herself in some sort of laboratory, filled with strange equipment. Computers lined a far wall, their screens casting a blue glow all over the room. The door opened, and two men walked inside, one of them dressed in a white coat. The other man held a clipboard in his hands and seemed slightly nervous about something. Neither of them appeared to notice her standing there, but she dared not move anyway, just in case.

"I'm still not sure about this," the nervous man said. "we haven't tested it enough."

"We're out of time," the one in the lab coat replied impatiently. "She is almost fully grown. Get the virus and bring it down to Incubation."

With a resigned sigh, Clipboard Man nodded. "Right away, Doctor."

The doctor stalked out of the room, leaving the other man alone. He set the clipboard down on a counter, and started walking right toward Sonya. Panicked, she stood frozen to the floor, sure he would catch her there, but he continued past her, unaware of her presence. He reached a stainless steel cabinet behind her, and she watched as he pulled open a drawer and a light mist escaped the cabinet. It wasn't a cabinet after all, Sonya realized; it was a refrigeration unit.

The man picked up a few of the vials inside, reading the labels and then putting them back. Finally, he found the one he was looking for, and slipped it into his shirt pocket. He slid the drawer closed and stood up, then walked back toward the door to the lab, grabbing his clipboard on the way out.

Sonya knew she should follow him, so she counted to three, gathering her courage, and then pushed through the door he'd gone through. He was already a good distance down the hall, whistling a tune off-key. She followed a few paced behind him, trying to catch glimpses of what was behind the doors on either side of the corridor.

The man suddenly stopped in front of a door on the left, and she had to skid to a stop before she slammed into him. He slid a card into a slot on the door, waited for a click, then withdrew the card and pushed the handle down. The door swung in, and he entered the room beyond it. Sonya rushed ahead, knowing that if she didn't get inside soon, the door would lock again, with her outside. She slipped around the door with just inches to spare, and noticed the man she'd followed standing by a sort of hospital bed. There was someone on the bed; a red-haired pregnant someone, Sonya realized when she saw the large belly sticking out under the sheet. Sonya thought at first that the woman was dead, since her eyes were closed and she lay so still. But then, her arm moved from the surface of the bed to gently rub her belly.

The doctor she'd seen earlier was there also, and now Clipboard Man handed him the vial he'd put in his pocket. As he placed it in the doctor's hand, he once again relayed his concern.

"We really should test it first. Otherwise, how'll we be sure it'll work?"

The doctor frowned. "It will work. It must. Each of them must die, so we can be the strongest mutants on Earth."

The man relented at last, walking away to speak with another doctor. Sonya watched the first doctor push a very long needle into the vial's stopper, then draw some of the fluid into the syringe. When he was satisfied at the amount he'd taken, he removed the needle and set the vial on a tray beside the bed. He pulled aside the sheet that draped over the woman, exposing her bare stomach. The baby inside moved, making a small lump toward the right side, then disappeared again. Sonya's stomach turned as she understood what was about to happen. She didn't want to watch, but she had to; she was inside Raven's mind, simply being carried along in the tide of Raven's thoughts. Raven had watched, therefore, Sonya had to as well.

The doctor carefully rubbed iodine on the woman's belly, then guided the needle into her skin. The woman's eyes fluttered, but she didn't make any other move. When the needle had reached a certain point, the doctor released the fluid, waited a moment, and then slowly removed the needle. He watched the woman for a few moments, waiting for any signs of a reaction, and then set down the syringe. He turned to another man and ordered, "Take her down to Delivery. It won't be long now."

"Yes, Doctor," the man replied, and began to wheel the woman's bed toward the door Sonya had come through. A woman held the door open for him, nodded at him when he thanked her.

"Seen enough yet?" A voice asked at her right side. Sonya turned to see Raven standing there, her gaze seeming to search Sonya's face for something.

"That wasn't my mother. That woman's hair –" Sonya shook her head, confused.

Raven seemed surprised, but merely stated, "The woman you grew up with wasn't your real mother. Your birth mother – the one you saw here – died bringing you into this world." She gestured around the room to explain her bitter tone.

"But then, what about my father?" Sonya asked.

"That, I don't know." She looked around the room, and pointed toward someone seated at a computer. "But he does."

Sonya followed her gaze, until she saw who she'd pointed out. She sighed heavily.

"Clipboard Man."

"What?" Raven asked, but Sonya shook her head. "The papers he has with him should tell you who your father is."

With a last glance at Raven, Sonya stepped toward the man. His clipboard was on the desk beside the computer, and he was intently staring at the monitor, occasionally pressing a button on the keyboard. Sonya looked down at the paper, reading the entire page once. Then, her eyes flicked back to the section labeled "Biological Father:". When she read the name that had been typed inside the box, Sonya felt her stomach drop down to her feet. She wanted to scream, but her throat wouldn't make a sound.

"Sonya!" She heard Logan's voice call to her, and she suddenly found herself back in his room, staring into his eyes. She looked down at Raven and was relieved to see that she was still asleep.

"Are you all right?" He asked. "What happened?"

She suddenly jumped up and took a step back, toward the door. "You can wake her up now. I've gotta go!"

Before he could move to stop her, Sonya sprinted out of the room, and down the stairs. Puzzled, Logan turned toward Raven and shook her gently. Her eyes opened, and when she remembered where she was, she sat up quickly.

"What happened?" Raven asked, glancing around for Sonya. "Where'd she go?"

"She ran outta here like a bat outta hell. Something scared her." He stood up and began to pace back and forth. "I knew this was a bad idea."

Raven jumped out of bed and started for the door, as he stared questioningly at her. She came back and grabbed his hand, pulling him toward the stairs.

"Com on, Logan," she scolded, "we gotta find her."


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: So here's another long-awaited chapter. Sorry it took so long...4 kids and a husband keeps ya busy! Anyway, hope you enjoy the next 3 chapters....they're the last ones!!! R&R as usual, and I look forward to any comments/criticism.

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Chapter 17

Logan and Raven searched each of Sonya's favorite hiding places, but came up empty. They'd stopped every kid at the school and asked if they'd seen her, but no one had. Out of ideas, Logan turned desperate eyes on Raven.

"Where would she be?" He asked, hoping she might be able to think of something he'd missed.

"I don't know," she replied, dashing those hopes. She gazed at the treetops, her mind racing, and then stomped her foot as she realized something.

"Bobby!" she nearly shouted.

"Huh?" Logan asked.

Rather than waste time replying, she grabbed his hand once more and led him back to the mansion, through the halls, and down to the Lab where Bobby was recuperating. When they entered the room, Rogue stood up from her seat, instantly reading the worry on their faces.

"What's wrong?" she asked, looking straight at Logan, but he merely shook his head, begging her not to get in the way.

Raven stood beside Bobby and gazed down at him.

"Bobby, Sonya's missing again. Do you know where she might've gone?"

He thought about it for a moment, then nodded.

"Sure. The stables."

"No. We were already there," Logan replied.

"Okay. What about the old shed at the back of the property?"

"What shed?" Logan asked. He'd thought he'd explored every inch of the school's grounds; he'd never found a shed.

Bobby leaned up on his left elbow, since it didn't hurt quite as much as the right one. "It's pretty hidden, in the roots of a couple huge maple trees, about an acre before the fence. I told her about it maybe a month ago, and she made me promise to take her there sometime. She must've decided to go by herself, instead."

"Thank you, Bobby," Raven said, patting his hand, and he nodded.

"Anytime."

"Come on," Logan said over his shoulder, already stalking out of the room. Raven gave Rogue a quick hug before she followed him back outside.

"So, how do you wanna do this?" she asked when they reached the back lawn.

"Whattya mean?"

"Maybe only one of us should go. We could scare her even more if we both show up."

Logan shook his head. "No. I might need your help. If she's hurt…" he trailed off, unwilling to finish the thought.

"Okay. You lead the way."

Logan set off through the trees on the back edge of the property, searching for Sonya's tracks, and evidence that she'd been that way. He found her shoeprints a short way in, and followed them all the way to the edge of a small pond, where they ended.

"She didn't swim across that," Raven murmured, staring uneasily at the brackish water. "Please tell me she didn't swim."

Logan put his hands on his hips and looked around for a moment, then replied, "No. She went over it."

"Over?" She asked, confused. Logan pointed upward, and she followed his gaze to a tangle of green vines hanging over the pond. Finally understanding, she said, "Gotcha."

"Let's go around," he said, but she had already grabbed hold of one of the vines and taken a few steps back. His jaw set in a firm line, he warned, "Raven, don't."

With a mischievous grin, she teased, "What? You never did this as a kid?"

"I don't remember being a 'kid'. But I'm sure that I'd still think it was dangerous."

"For God's sake, Wolverine," she scoffed, "we don't have long before it gets dark. You go the long way if you want, but I'm takin' the shortcut."

Before he could say any more, she took off running and then jumped at the edge of the pond, letting the vine swing her over the dark water. When she reached the other side, she let go of the vine and landed on her feet. She turned around and gave him a triumphant grin, as the vine swung back toward him. He caught the same vine, took a breath, and swung himself over to her. He dropped down, landing in a crouch, and Raven chuckled at him.

"That wouldn't have happened if you got a running start," she laughed, but when he held up a hand to quiet her, her smile faded quickly.

"Someone else is here," he warned, inhaling deeply. Jumping to his feet, he started to move off through the woods at a near-run. Raven would've had trouble keeping up with him if she hadn't spent so much time in forests like this when she was growing up.

"Who is it?" she called to him after a while.

"Dunno, but something feels wrong."

They kept going for another ten minutes, and then something caught Raven's eye. She stopped running, and had to yell ahead to Logan.

"Hey, Logan?!"

"What?!" He yelled back, frustrated. He wanted to find Sonya before anyone else did.

"I found it!"

He rushed back over to her, puzzled. He hadn't seen anything there before. Raven stepped toward a clump of trees, and pointed to a well-hidden door wedged between the trunks. Logan was impressed, and he gestured for her to go first.

Raven leaned into the door, and it groaned loudly before slowly swinging open. She instantly wished that Logan had gone first; his eyes adjusted to the dark much more quickly than hers. When she could finally see through the gloom, she could only see junk piled around the tiny interior of the shed. Cobwebs hung down so far that she had to duck to prevent them from tangling in her hair, and dust and soil thickly coated every surface.

She stepped forward to make room for Logan, whose keen senses found Sonya instantly. He strode over to a drop-leaf table with a broken hinge, dropped to one knee, and lifted the creaking leaf. Tucked far into the corner, her face streaked with dirt and dried tears, was Sonya.

"Hey, kiddo," Logan soothed. "Gave us quite a scare, runnin' off like that."

"Leave me alone, Logan," she sobbed, pulling farther back into the corner. As she moved, he noticed a rip in her jeans, and a small gash in her leg underneath.

Shooting a look of consternation at Raven, he slid forward a little, reaching out his hand to the frightened girl.

"Sonya, we've gotta go now. Just gimme your hand and come outta there."

When she shook her head, he decided to try a different approach.

"Sonya," he commanded gruffly, "get out here!"

Raven came over and knelt beside Logan, irking him even more, though he said nothing.

"Sonya," Raven began, "Logan is only trying to help you. We both are. Come on out, okay? I won't let anything hurt you."

Finally, slowly, Sonya inched out from her hiding place, until she was clear of the table. Logan carefully let the leaf back down and stood up, brushing himself off; he was too upset and yet relieved to speak. Raven helped the girl stand and swept a few cobwebs from her dark hair, and she was startled when Sonya flung her arms around her and began to sob uncontrollably. She looked at Logan, unsure of what to do, but he just pushed past her and walked out of the shed.

"Come on, Sonya," she murmured, taking the girl's hand and leading her outside. Though the trees blocked most of the sunlight, they still had to shield their eyes from the sudden brightness. Logan had already begun making his way back to the mansion, though he stayed just close enough that they wouldn't lose sight of him and get lost. Every once in a while, he would stop and listen to the air around him, then continue moving again.

"Are they still out here?" Raven called to him once, but he merely grunted and shook his head.

At last, they broke through the trees and found themselves on the mansion's back lawn. Logan wordlessly stalked toward the house, and though Raven figured his dark mood had something to do with Sonya's refusal to come out of hiding, she was still puzzled by it. She wanted to go after him, to try and get him to talk, but she knew that was most likely impossible. At the moment, she needed to tend to Sonya's wound. It didn't look serious, but Raven knew that even the smallest cut could become badly infected.

Raven led Sonya into the kitchen, which was thankfully empty, and helped her jump up onto the countertop.

"I'll be right back," she said, and the girl only nodded.

As Raven was rifling through a closet for a first-aid kit, she felt as if someone was suddenly standing right behind her, and she spun around to see Logan standing there.

"Damn it, Logan. Don't do that," she gasped, her hand on her chest as if to physically stop her heart from beating wildly against her ribs.

"Sorry," he replied, sarcasm dripping in his voice.

"I just came to find some bandages or something for Sonya's leg." She held up the first-aid kit.

"Okay."

Raven narrowed her eyes at him. "Logan, what's wrong with you? Ever since the shed, you've been acting…I don't know…weird."

He just shrugged. "Nothing's wrong. I'm fine."

"Bull!" Again, there was no response from him. She angrily slammed the closet door. "You know, I realize that you're very damaged and all, but the least you could to is go apologize to her."

Logan snorted. "Apologize? For what?"

"For yelling at her. She was just scared."

"Oh, and I wasn't? I was terrified, Raven! I didn't know if she'd been hurt, or if the Brotherhood had grabbed her. And then, when we finally find her, she refuses to let me help her!"

_So there it is_, Raven said to herself. _He's upset because Sonya came to me instead of him_.

"No, Logan," she said flatly.

"No, what?"

"You're not mad because she ran away and all that. You're jealous that she chose me over you."

"The hell I am, Raven!" he shouted, and she reflexively shut her eyes, feeling that she'd pushed him too far again. Logan forced himself to calm down, then said, "I don't care about that. I was just so glad to see her safe. But she wasn't glad to see me."

"Okay," Raven replied with a nod, "but why do you care so much? I mean, I know the two of you connected in some way, and you've become attached to her. But, Logan, it's not like you're her father or something."

"Yes, he is," a small, timid voice said from the doorway. Logan and Raven both turned toward Sonya, who stood there holding a washcloth to her wounded leg.

Logan blinked rapidly, trying to decide whether he'd heard correctly. "I'm sorry," he rumbled, "I thought – "

"I saw it in her mind," she interrupted, lifting her chin to indicate Raven. "The Brotherhood used your…genetic material…to make me."

Raven suggested then, "Let's all go back into the kitchen and get you cleaned up."

"Okay," Sonya agreed, and hobbled back into the kitchen, closely followed by Logan and then Raven. Not one to give up easily, Logan held out his arms, and Sonya let him boost her up onto the counter again. Raven rinsed out the washcloth and used it to wash the dirt from the girl's face and arms, then carefully wiped out the inch-long gash on her leg.

"So, why'd you run away?" Logan asked, to keep her mind occupied as Raven tended to her wound.

The girl shrugged. "I guess I just kinda freaked out. I thought that if you knew, well…I didn't think you'd want me as a daughter."

Logan stepped forward and took her hand, and she looked up into his eyes. "Why? Why would you think that?"

At first, she didn't respond, instead watching Raven place a bandage over her cut. Then, she murmured, "Because I'm nothing like you."

Hearing this, Raven's eyes filled with tears. She recalled that same feeling all too well – the feeling that you were different from the rest of your family – although she was completely human. She had vowed long ago, that she would try to make sure that no child, human or otherwise, would ever feel that way. It was one of the most painful feelings she'd ever had; of that there was no doubt in her mind.

Logan opened his mouth to speak, but no words came. He felt sure that this time, his heart had broken into shards as soon as Sonya had uttered those five words. He closed his mouth again, and Raven could see his jaw working, trying to control his emotions. She could also see that he was quickly losing the fight.

"Kiddo," he finally managed, "I wouldn't care if you had no abilities, or if you were the most powerful mutant on the planet." He blinked as the tears escaped his eyes and slid quickly down his face. "I love you because you're Sonya, and that's all."

Sonya gazed up at him, and when she saw his tears, her lip began to tremble. "You do?" she whispered.

Logan lowered his head until his forehead was touching hers, and closed his eyes. "Yeah, I do."

Sonya wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder, and he held her tightly against him, more silent tears tracking down his stubbled cheeks. Feeling very much like an unwanted spectator, Raven started to back out of the kitchen, figuring she'd go back down to visit Bobby. Logan saw her move, however, and his arm shot out and grabbed hold of her jacket.

"Oh, no you don't, Miss Raven. C'mere."

Reluctantly, Raven stepped over to them and let Logan pull her into the hug. Though she was in an awkward position, crushed against his side, she didn't really mind. All that mattered was that she was wanted.

XXXXX

"Can I come in?" Logan asked Storm, leaning around the door frame to her office.

She glanced up from the pile of papers she was grading, and noticed his calm expression. For once, the wrinkles in his forehead had ironed out, and a contented grin played on his lips. Storm smiled genuinely in return, and beckoned for him to enter. He still strode into the room as if he were on a mission, she noticed, but his demeanor didn't change.

"Did I miss something?" She asked him, quizzically raising her eyebrows.

"Uh, quite a bit, actually, but it couldn't be helped."

"Where are Raven and Sonya? Did everything go all right?"

Logan sat down in the chair across from her, resting his right ankle on his left knee.

"Well," he said, unsure of how to phrase his reply without upsetting her, "We hit a slight snag. But it worked itself out."

"Logan," Storm replied, her curiosity clear on her exotic features, "your cryptic replies are absolutely killing me."

He couldn't suppress a chuckle at her frustrated expression. Leaning forward slightly, he murmured in a conspiratorial tone, "We found out who Sonya's father is."

This piqued her even further. "Who?"

Still leaning toward her, he replied, "You're lookin' at him."

The revelation sent a wave of shock through her body, and she fell back against her leather chair. Her voice full of warning, she said, "Logan, if you are playing some kind of joke – "

Logan laughed outright, confusing her more than she ever thought possible. When his laughter finally subsided, he shook his head.

"Trust me, I would never joke about this. Apparently, they used Sonya's birth mother's DNA, mixed it with mine, and…" he trailed off, knowing she would finish the thought in her own head.

"And you…" Storm began, then decided to rephrase what she was about to say. "How do you feel about all of this?"

Though his face still held a trace of a smile, his tone was serious. "Y'know, a few years ago, I probably would've felt…well, I'd probably run away. I was never a very responsible person. No ties and all that."

Storm nodded in understanding, then waited for him to continue.

"But now, especially after coming here," he gestured around the room, indicating the entire school, "I realize that these kids need me. And, I need them."

Storm would've normally been surprised at the softness in his voice. But she knew the special spot some of the children held in his heart, so she merely smiled at him.

"And what about Raven? After this is all over, what will happen to her?" She folded her hands over her half-graded reports.

Logan shrugged. "It's up to her, I guess. If she did decide to stay, though –"

"It would be a pleasure to have her here," Storm interrupted, and he inclined his head slightly to thank her. Logan stood up to leave, but then turned back.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Raven and I wanted to take the jet again, if that's okay."

"Of course. But where are you going?"

"To find the doctor who did this to Sonya – well, to us, actually. We're hoping he's got a cure for this virus."

"And if he doesn't?" Storm asked, concerned, but he only shrugged.

"We'll have to go to Plan B."

"Which is?"

"I'll figure that out if and when we need it."

She shot him another warning look, but didn't respond.

"Can you find someone to keep a close eye on Sonya while we're gone? They might still try to get to her," he asked.

Storm nodded wearily. Sometimes talking to Logan was like trying to keep up with a marathon runner, she thought.

"I'm sure Peter wouldn't mind, especially after his guard duty with Bobby. Compared to that, watching her will be a walk in the park," she joked lightly.

"Okay, then," Logan said, and swung around the door. Then, he peered back around the corner and said, "Thanks, Storm. And, yeah, I'll be careful."

When he was gone, Storm stood up and walked over to her wide bay window, gazing down at the lawn below. A large group of children was playing kickball, running around the bases and laughing. She smiled softly as she watched them. They all seemed so happy, oblivious to the harsh world outside the school, and she wished that she could feel the same joy they did, instead of the bitterness that had become tangled within herself, threatening to imprison her forever.

The Professor would not approve of your attitude, she scolded herself. He would tell you to see the beauty the world still held in it.

Pushing away from the window, Storm sat back down at her desk and went back to grading her kids' papers. There was no time to brood over her painful past, not when there was so much to do.

XXXXX

From Storm's office, Logan went down to pay Bobby a long-overdue visit. When he walked into the room, Logan was glad to see that Bobby was sitting up, though a cast covered his left leg. Bobby noticed him come through the doorway, and greeted him with a smile.

"Hey, Logan. Making sure you didn't actually kill me?"

Recognizing the joking tone in Bobby's voice, Logan grinned and joked back, "Nah. Just wanted to make sure you weren't gonna escape and wreak havoc throughout the school."

"Funny," Bobby replied, still smiling. "So, how's things upstairs? I feel like the deformed kid they locked up in the basement and tried to forget about."

Logan waved dismissively. "Ah, not too much. Y'know, the usual stuff – discover a plot to kill off every mutant that isn't in league with the Brotherhood, find out I'm someone's 'dad', try and stop the evil plot and save the world – nothing new."

Bobby's eyes widened. "Wait. You're a dad? Whose?"

Logan chuckled. "Don't sweat it right now. I'll have time to fill ya in on everything later. I just came down to see how you were doin', and to bring you somethin' to keep ya busy."

A hundred questions filled Bobby's mind, but he let them go unanswered. He could see that Logan was in somewhat of a hurry. Instead, he asked, "What'd you bring me?"

Logan opened the paper bag he'd been holding, and began to pull things out of it as he explained, "Well, I figured you'd be bored outta your skull down here, so I brought down some comic books – take it easy with them, they're my first editions – " he cautioned as he set them down on a nearby table, "and a few DVD's I thought you'd like. When you're done with these, I can always bring down some more."

"Sweet!" Bobby exclaimed as he read the movie titles Logan had handed him. "Thanks, Logan."

"Aah," Logan replied with another wave of his hand, "It's the least I could do after bustin' ya up. You just relax and get better. I gotta get my ass movin', but I'll be back soon."

"Maybe when you come back to my 'dungeon', we can both watch this one," Bobby said, holding up one of the DVD cases.

Logan read the title and nodded appreciatively.

"Boondock Saints. One of my personal favorites. Most definitely." He walked to the doorway, then waved to Bobby. "See ya later, kid."

"Bye, Logan," Bobby replied, then grabbed the first comic book on top of the stack and opened it to the first page.

XXXXX

Raven sat at the controls on the jet, carefully watching a radar screen and occasionally checking a few other systems. She and Logan had flown in near-silence for almost an hour, with her asking him questions and him responding in one word sentences. His silence didn't bother her now; she realized that he was as tense as she was, but he preferred to deal with it through quiet reflection, while she felt she had to break the silence with idle chatter. She had just given up any hope of a conversation when he suddenly asked her a question.

"Do you think I could be a good father? I mean, you know more about me than anyone else. Including me."

Raven looked up from the radar screen and gazed at him openly. He wasn't usually one to seek approval from anyone, so for him to ask such a question was rare.

"Logan," she began, "I think that out of anyone I've met – human or mutant – you would make the best father anyone could have."

He seemed to accept her compliment, but his gaze was still troubled. Raven decided to press him a little further, but was prepared to drop the subject if it irritated him too much.

"What's bothering you?" she asked, and he shrugged.

"I dunno. I guess…we go on all these missions to 'save the world', and a lot of them have been pretty close calls."

Understanding what he was trying to say, Raven replied, "You're worried that one of these times, you might not come back, and Sonya will have lost her dad all over again."

"Yeah."

She blew out a deep breath. "I don't know what to tell you, Logan, except this; Sonya knew what you did – saving the world, as you put it – before she knew who you were to her, and still loved you. I don't think that anything has changed."

"Except that I'm her father," he reminded her.

"Yeah," she replied with a dismissive wave, "biologically. But she hasn't had a father in her life since she was small, and she got along fine. I'm not saying that it wouldn't matter to her if something happened to you. I'm just saying that you mean as much to her as you did when you were just 'Logan'."

He thought about that for a while. What Raven said made perfect sense to him, and yet he couldn't help feeling like he was making the wrong decision by staying with the X-Men. He was about to say as much to Raven, when she pointed to a spot on the map in front of them.

"We're here, I think," she told him.

"You 'think'?"

"Well, these are the coordinates Sonya gave me – from my mind- so it must be the right place."

Logan peered past the map and down at the ground below them.

"Where are we gonna land, Raven?" he asked. "We're in the middle of a city."

"I can see that, Logan," she replied, searching the map for someplace a little more discreet. Though it was dark outside, she wasn't sure she could find a place to land a jet the size of a basketball court. Finally, she spotted a hayfield that had just been cleared, and set the jet down in the middle of it.

"We'd better do this fast," she said to him, unstrapping herself from the cockpit. "Someone is bound to find this monster sooner or later."

"Let's hope it's later," he remarked as he opened the lower hatch and started down the ladder.

"No kidding," Raven replied, all too aware that time was growing short.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Logan and Raven quickly found the building Sonya had described, and discovered an unguarded door at the rear of the building. Raven stepped up and pulled on the handle, but it was locked.

With an exasperated sigh, she asked, "Now what?"

"Don't look at me. You're the expert at Breaking and Entering."

Raven sighed again, but let his comment pass. She gazed around the dark alley, her hand on her hip, then pointed up at a window about ten feet above them.

"If I could get up there," she mused aloud, looking around once more for something to stand on. Finding nothing, she turned back to Logan. "Boost me up."

He stared at her, convinced that she was kidding. When he saw that she was serious, he shook his head even as he laced his fingers together to make her a foothold. Raven placed her hands on his shoulders and put her right foot in his hands, then reached up and grabbed for the window ledge.

"Guess it's higher than I thought," she whispered to him when she realized she wasn't high enough. Logan just growled. She wasn't heavy, but her boot was squashing his fingers. He pushed up, trying to lift her a little higher.

"Hang on, I've got it," she said then, and placed her left foot on his right shoulder. With a quiet grunt, she pushed her other foot out of his hands and set it on his left shoulder. Not wanting to cause him any more discomfort than necessary, she made a quick grab for the window ledge, and this time her hands easily found their grip. Her feet left Logan's shoulders and scaled the wall as she pulled herself up onto the ledge.

When he felt her weight being lifted from him, Logan heaved in a sigh, then looked up at the window where she was perched, trying to raise the pane without making too much noise.

"Uh, Raven?"

She glanced down at him impatiently. "What?" she hissed.

"How'd you plan on getting me inside?"

"I'll come down and unlock the door." He shot her a look, and she frowned. "What?"

With a sigh, Logan slid out his claws and took a step closer to the wall of the building. As she watched, he stabbed his right claws into the bricks at eye level, then extended his left hand and repeated the motion, continuing until he had pulled himself up slightly below and to the side of her.

She looked at him hanging there, and asked him, "Why didn't you just do that before?"

He tried to shrug, but it came out lopsided. "You didn't ask."

She made a noise in her throat, and turned back to the window. She finally made an opening wide enough for them to fit through, and glanced down at him triumphantly. When she turned back to the window, she was startled by a man's face peering down at them, and she moved away instinctively as he stuck his hands out the window to make a grab at her. Forgetting she was sitting on a narrow window ledge, she moved too far, and soon found herself falling off her precarious perch.

Logan had seen her start to slip, but he didn't really have a way to catch her, since his claws were lodged in the wall. Making a split decision, he freed his right hand and retracted the claws, grabbing her arm as she fell past him. He shuddered as her body slammed into the wall, but at least she hadn't hit the ground.

The man in the window saw that Logan was now defenseless, and began to crawl out onto the ledge after them. Logan glanced helplessly down at Raven, who nodded back to him; she understood what he was about to do, and knew that it was the only thing he could do. Extending his arm as far as he could, he released her wrist, and she half-leapt, half-fell to the ground below. She landed in a crouch, but her legs gave, and she fell to her knees.

When he saw that she'd made it down safely, Logan glanced back up at the other man, who was now scaling down the brick wall headfirst, like a gecko. He grinned humorlessly at Logan, sending a shiver of disgust down Logan's spine.

"Wolverine," the man hissed. "What an honor."

With a snarl, Logan again engaged the claws on his right hand, holding them up as a warning. The man simply laughed.

"Ah, you and your overgrown fingernails. What're you gonna do, scratch out my eyes?"

"Nah. I was thinkin' of knockin' off your head."

The man leapt at Logan, landing on his back so that only Logan's one set of claws was keeping them both from falling. Logan wasn't worried about losing his grip – he knew his adamantium claws would hold – but he didn't know what weapons this Lizard Man was carrying, or what other abilities he possessed. He decided that he didn't want to stick around to find out.

Logan braced his feet against the wall, then used them to push off, at the same moment swinging around so he could slam the Lizard man's back against the brick wall. The hit knocked the wind out of both men, but Logan recovered instantly, and swung back around to attack again. The other man managed to regain his grip on the wall and sat there, catching his breath. Before the other man could make another move, Logan dislodged himself and leapt over to the man, sinking one set of claws into the brick only inches from the man's face. He grabbed Lizard Man with his free hand and yanked him up, so that his back was against the wall. The man couldn't get a grip on the wall, since he was facing the wrong way, and fear now set itself into his dark eyes.

"Go ahead, Logan," he spat. "You're just doing what any animal would, after all."

Logan glared at the man, who began to laugh, and Logan was torn between killing him and, well, not killing him.

Raven was standing almost directly below them, watching the scene unfold. She noticed the man's hand moving under the hem of his shirt, reaching for something, and when his shirt moved she could see a glint of metal tucked into the waist of his pants. Though she knew Logan couldn't be killed by a bullet, she knew that it would make him lose his grip on the wall.

Though her fear nearly choked her, she called up to Logan, "Watch out!"

Logan then saw the man reaching for his gun, and he instantly sank his left hand's claws through the man's chest and into the bricks, impaling him to the wall. As the Lizard man choked and gasped, unable to get enough air into his deflated left lung, Logan leaned closer to him and growled, "That was for Raven."

Then, he followed with his right claws, piercing the man's heart, and added, "And that's for my daughter."

A look of sudden realization crossed the man's face for a moment. Then, his head fell forward and he grew still.

"Raven?" Logan called down into the darkness, trying to catch a glimpse of her pale face. Finally, she emerged from the shadows and looked up at him.

"You okay?" He asked her.

"Yeah. You?"

"Yeah. Watch out, will ya? I gotta drop something." He put emphasis on the last word, and she nodded and moved to the far side of the back alley.

With a grunt, Logan yanked his left hand out of the man and stuck it into the wall just beside his body, then did the same with his right. The man fell from beneath Logan, and landed with a thud on the pavement below, his lolling head bouncing off a metal pipe on the way down.

"Logan?" Raven called up, walking in a wide arc around the man's body.

"Yeah?"

"Now I'm the one stuck down here, only I don't have claws."

Logan chuckled, only adding to her frustration. Then, he replied, "I'll go open the door for you. Sit tight for a minute."

Raven sighed as she watched him climb back up to the window and disappear inside. She'd discovered that she had a Logan-sized bruise developing around her wrist, and her shoulder ached where she'd slammed against the wall, but anything was better than the alternative.

A few moments later, she heard a click, and the back door swung open. Logan was holding the knob, and now he beckoned for her to get inside. She hurried past him into the building, and he quietly shut and relocked the door, then got in front of her. He put up his hand to stop her – which she did – and then listened carefully for any approaching footsteps. Satisfied that the coast was clear, he held out his hand, and she took it, entwining her slender fingers with his.

"You sure you can recognize this guy?" he murmured in her ear, his warm breath tickling the delicate skin on her jaw.

She nodded. "Sonya's good with descriptions. Very observant, that girl is."

He didn't reply, but the squeeze he gave her hand was answer enough for her.

They soon reached a stairwell at the end of the hall, and Logan pulled the door open and stuck his head inside.

"Clear," he said, slipping around the doorjamb as silently as a cat. Raven copied his motion perfectly, then pointed downward.

"We need to go down five flights. That's where all the important 'stuff' is."

Logan grimaced. "Why can't it ever be on the first floor?"

She smiled sympathetically at him, but began to descend the winding stairs. "You're so old, Logan."

"Yeah, I get that a lot," he responded. "Now, shut up before someone hears you."

"Yes, Dad," she whispered up to him, and he scowled.

"Raven."

She grinned at him, but kept silent the rest of the way down.

When they reached the correct floor, Raven placed her back against the wall beside the door and nodded to Logan, who put his hand on the handle, ready to pull it open. Just then, the handle turned from the other side, and he took a step back in surprise. The door swung open wide, and silhouetted by the light in the hallway beyond was a man in a white lab coat. Though Raven could only see a dim profile, she recognized him instantly.

"It's him," she said to Logan. Not leaving the man a chance to react, Logan grabbed him by his collar and pulled him into the stairwell.

"Lock the door," he ordered her, and she complied.

Slamming the man against a wall, Logan glared at him, then growled, "Surprised to see me, Doctor?"

As the initial shock wore off, the doctor shook his head.

"I knew someday you would find me. So, now you know all about her."

Suppressing the urge to crush the man's head, Logan shouted, "Her name is Sonya!"

Though the doctor was obviously afraid of Logan, his voice was calm as he asked, "What do you want from me, Wolverine?"

"We want the antidote," Raven replied.

When she spoke, the doctor seemed to finally realize that Raven was there. His gray eyes widened as he stated, "I know you. You used to work for us."

Raven shook her head. "I never worked for you. I joined you only to gain information on you."

Impatient, Logan shook the man once, and the doctor's gaze shifted back to him.

"Where is it?" Logan asked, but the doctor merely shrugged.

"There isn't one. And even if there was, I would die before I gave it to you."

"Only too happy to oblige," Logan replied, taking a step back and unsheathing his claws.

"No, wait!" Raven shouted, and both men turned to gaze at her. "He's lying."

"I most certainly am not," the doctor replied, clearly offended.

"You sure, Raven?" Logan asked.

She nodded, and he slid back his claws before grabbing the doctor once more.

"Come on, Doc," he snarled, pulling him toward the door that Raven had since unlocked. "Time to make a house call."

As they made their way through the maze of hallways, Logan noticed that they didn't run into anyone else on the floor.

"You the only one here, Doc? Pullin' a little late-night mad scientist, huh?"

The doctor grinned at Logan's sarcasm, but didn't reply. When they reached the room Sonya had seen when she first entered Raven's mind, Logan pushed the doctor into a chair and stood in front of him, his mere presence menacing enough to prevent the man from attempting to escape.

"Hurry up," he warned Raven as she sprinted over to a row of refrigeration units. There were five of them, with two drawers to each unit, so she decided to pull all of them open at once, then close each one as she search them. When she got to the second drawer on the third unit, she found what she was looking for. An entire rack of vials was labeled "Anti-virus", followed by a string of numbers. She pulled out the rack and walked over to where the doctor sat, a self-satisfied grin on his face.

"No antidote, huh?" she asked him, holding out one of the vials.

"Perhaps I was…less than honest. But which one is the right anti-virus for your 'Sonya'? There are 20 different strains there. Some could prove quite fatal if they were to be injected into her."

"Then tell us which one it is," Logan said in a low voice.

The doctor laughed aloud. "And if I don't? If you kill me, you'll never know which one to use."

Logan's eyes turned stormy, and his expression frightened even Raven.

"No," he said quietly, leaning down to rest his hands on the arms of the chair, "I wouldn't kill you. I would find your family, and make you watch as I killed them, one at a time."

Shaken, the doctor's eyes filled with fear. Softly, he replied, "I don't know which one it is. But my records should be able to tell you that."

Logan straightened back up. "Good. Where are they?"

"In my office, at the end of this hall on the right."

"I'll go," Raven offered, but Logan shook his head.

"No. You stay here with Frankenstein. If he moves, well, y'know."

"Got it."

Logan stalked out of the room and made his way to the room the doctor had indicated. He tried the door, but it was locked.

"Of course," Logan mumbled. He took a step back and kicked the door. He heard the hinges snap, and another light shove sent it crashing down into the middle of the room.

"What was that?" the doctor asked when they heard the crash from down the hall, but Raven only shrugged.

"That was Logan. 'Opening' your door."

Logan stepped over the door and scanned the room for some kind of filing system. He found it occupying an entire wall under a window. Luckily, each drawer was labeled by date, not alphabetically as he'd feared, since he didn't know Sonya's birth mother's name, and he doubted they'd go by either "Logan" or "Wolverine". Counting backward, he figured out Sonya's birth year, and opened the corresponding drawer. He rifled through the dozens of files, looking only at the section indicating the birth father. After about five minutes of searching, he finally came to the right file, and yanked it out of the cabinet.

"Did you find it?" Raven asked as he entered the room, and he held up the file in response. Favoring the doctor with a scowl, he handed the papers to Raven, who had to set downt eh rack of test tubes so she could use both of her hands. She flipped through the stapled pages, scanning them for the name of the virus.

"Aha!" She exclaimed, and Logan came to stand beside her, reading over her shoulder as she read aloud, "Zero, six, four, zero, zero, one, seven."

With a hopeful glance at Logan, she searched the vials for one with those same numbers. It was the second-to-last vial in the rack, in the last row. Relieved, she pulled it out and handed it to Logan, who held it up to the light, inspecting it as if it were a precious gem. Then, he slipped it into his jacket's inside pocket.

"Come on," he beckoned to Raven, and they started to leave. The doctor stood up then, his expression one of worry.

"What about me?" He asked Logan.

"You," Logan pondered for a moment before uttering a reply. "You find somewhere peaceful to retire. And tell your Brotherhood lackeys that if I ever see them, I'll come looking for you."

Leaving the doctor there to consider Logan's warning, he and Raven made their way out of the building and back to the jet.

XXXXX

It was still dark by the time Raven set the jet on its hidden landing pad on the basketball court. As the platform lowered automatically into the ground, she glanced over at Logan, who was still staring at the vial in his hands, turning it over and over.

"Hey," she said, as a series of beeps told them the jet was securely docked, "we're here."

Logan nodded and released his seatbelt, which had been repaired. He slipped the tube back into his pocket, then opened the hatch and waited for Raven to climb down the ladder first. When she reached the bottom, he grabbed the handrails and let himself slide down until his feet touched the concrete floor of the hangar.

"Showoff," she murmured, just loud enough for his sensitive ears to hear, and he shrugged.

"You know you love it."

She had no argument for that, so she just gave him a crooked grin and made her way to the elevator. When the doors opened, she stepped inside and pressed the button for the mansion's first floor. Logan made it on just before the doors began to close.

"Sorry about earlier," he said as they began their ascent, and she game him a puzzled look.

"What?"

"When I dropped you."

"Oh." She waved away his concern. "Wasn't much of a choice. Besides, I'm okay."

"Good."

The elevator stopped then, and the doors slid open on the darkened first floor. Raven headed for the kitchen to ease her growling stomach, while Logan, who had heard the television on, walked toward the living room. He was expecting to see the boy that never slept sitting on the couch.

Instead, he saw Peter there, his arm cradled around Sonya, who was sleeping against his broad chest, her legs curled up underneath her. When Peter heard the floor squeak, he craned his head back over his shoulder and saw Logan standing there.

"She wouldn't sleep while you were gone," he explained in a whisper, "so I put on a movie for her. She's been asleep for about two hours now. I think my arm's asleep, too."

Logan grinned. "You think you can slip out from under her?"

Peter tried to move, but she settled even closer against him in her sleep. He shook his head.

"Okay," Logan said, "I'll pick her up and take her to her bed."

Silently walking across the living room, he slid his arm under her knees, while Peter pushed her head up so Logan could cradle it in his other arm. In one swift motion, Logan lifted her off the couch and turned toward the door.

Sonya felt herself being lifted into the air, but she was too exhausted to open her eyes. Instead, she listened to the heart that beat in her ear, to the rumble in Logan's chest as he spoke quietly to Raven, who had come out of the kitchen just then.

"Want me to help you?" She heard Raven ask.

"Sure," he replied as he continued on down the hall. She heard the door to her room squeak on its hinges, then another squeak as Logan stepped on a loose floorboard.

"Every time," he grumbled slightly above a whisper, and Sonya smiled in the darkness. He carefully set Sonya down on top of her rumpled sheets, and Raven pulled the blanket up to Sonya's chest, smoothing it around her until it felt like a cocoon, warm and secure. Raven murmured something to Logan, and Sonya heard the floor creak as she left the room. Though it was completely quiet for a long while, Sonya knew Logan was still there, looking at her, and she had the sudden urge to sit up and wrap her arms around him, to tell him how afraid she had been for him, but she lay still.

Finally, Logan sighed softly and leaned down to kiss her forehead.

"G'night, Princess," he whispered, then turned and crept out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Snuggling down into her covers, Sonya smiled again. And as she pictured Logan's charming smile, sleep came easily to her now.

XXXXX

"Bobby? You awake?"

Bobby opened his eyes and saw Logan standing in the doorway.

"Yeah," he replied, motioning for the man to enter, "I was just thinkin'."

Logan took a seat in the folding chair. "Yeah? 'Bout what?"

Bobby shrugged. "Just stuff." Logan was about to ask him to elaborate, when Bobby asked, "So, how'd it go? Tell me everything."

Logan shook his head. "I'm not sure that's such a good idea…"

"Oh, come on," the young man interrupted with a pout. "Look at me, Logan. Who am I gonna tell? Anyone who comes down here most likely already knows."

Logan stared at him for a while, debating with himself. Finally, he replied, "Okay. Whaddya want to know?"

Bobby pulled himself up until he was eye-level with Logan. "Earlier, you said that you were someone's 'Dad'. I've been wrackin' my brain to figure out who, but I can't."

"I knew you'd try. But she doesn't exactly resemble me very much," Logan hinted.

"Okay, so it's a girl," Bobby mused. As a thought hit him, his face suddenly took on a look of horror. "Please, don't tell me –"

Logan burst out laughing. "No," he finally managed, "it's not Rogue."

"Thank God."

"Care to guess again, or should I just tell you?"

After a moment, Bobby replied, "Just tell me. My brain's fried."

Logan chuckled again. "Sonya is my daughter."

"Holy shit!" Bobby exclaimed, then clapped his hand over his mouth as he realized what he'd said, and how loud he'd said it. After he removed his hand, he asked, "How did that happen?"

Logan didn't reply, but the way he arched his eyebrow forced Bobby to rephrase himself.

"I mean," Bobby began, "obviously I know how it happens. I was just wondering…"

Logan decided to put Bobby out of his misery, and simply started from the beginning, when Raven had sneaked into the mansion.

"Wow," Bobby breathed after Logan had finished. "Who would've thought you'd have a kid out there?"

"No kiddin'," Logan said, then changed the subject. "How you doin' with those comics?"

"Great. They're pretty awesome. Thanks for letting me borrow them."

"Who said anything about 'borrowing'?" Logan asked, and Bobby's eyes grew so wide that Logan feared they'd fall out of his head. He grinned at the young man as he stood up to leave. "I want you to have 'em. I just wanted you to promise to take care of 'em. Y'know, 'cause they're worth a lot of money."

"Logan, I can't," Bobby protested, but the man made a noise in his throat, and his protest died away.

"I got too much stuff layin' around here, anyway. Now shut up about it, or I'll break your other leg," Logan added with a grin.

"No problem. Thanks again, Logan."

"Don't mention it," Logan replied, holding out his hand. Bobby shook it firmly, and Logan noticed that his thick bandages had been replaced with only a light wrapping of gauze. He was glad to see that; it meant that Bobby was healing and would soon be able to go back upstairs with the rest of the kids.

With a final wave, which Bobby returned, Logan left the underground level to find Raven. He didn't need to look very hard, it turned out. As soon as the elevator door slid open to the first floor, he found himself staring directly at her.

"Hey," he greeted her, stepping off the elevator and into the hall.

"Hey, yourself," she replied, and reached up to kiss his cheek. "I was coming to find you, to remind you to drop the anti-virus off downstairs. Storm said she'd work on it tonight."

Logan slapped his forehead with the palm of his hand. "Aagh. I was just down there, too."

Raven grinned at his frustration. Even angry, he was fairly irresistible to her. She reached over and tapped the DOWN button on the wall. The small display above the elevator door began to count from 3 down to 1.

"That's okay," she said, wiping a smudge of her lipstick from his cheek. "I'll ride down with you."

Logan hooked his arm around her waist, pulling her to him, and asked huskily, "And just what do you think we'll have to do on the way?"

"Hopefully," she quietly replied, "anything but think."


	19. Chapter 19 The End

A/N: This is it, folks - the Final Chapter! It's been quite a ride...hope you've had as much fun as I have with it. All I can say is, I'm sad that this is actually over. As usual, R&R!!

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Chapter 19

Rogue and Sonya sat at the kitchen table, each eating a bowl of cereal. Rogue was now on her second helping, and Sonya got up from her seat to get the orange juice from the fridge.

"Another quiet morning here at Mutant High," Rogue said with a peaceful sigh.

Sonya giggled. "Mutant High?"

"It's what Bobby called the school the first day I was here. It kinda stuck."

"I can see how," the younger girl nodded appreciatively.

"So," Rogue began as she set her empty bowl in the sink. "I heard about Logan."

Sonya's grin faded slightly. She knew about the relationship between Logan and Rogue, and worried that Rogue would be upset, or even jealous, now that Sonya had turned out to be his real, flesh-and-blood daughter.

Rogue noticed the look on Sonya's face, and rushed on. "I think it's just great. I can tell how much he loves you. Logan's never been good with feelings, y'know, so that's…well, it's great."

Relieved, Sonya replied, "Thanks." Then she asked, "You wanna go outside? I was kinda hoping you'd want to take some of the horses for a ride."

"Sure," Rogue smiled. "You know, all the time I've been here, I've only been horseback riding a few times."

"Don't you like horses?"

Rogue nodded. "Oh, I love them. I've just been busy between school and Bobby and the whole X Men thing."

Sonya seemed lost in thought as they saddled two horses for their ride. When Rogue had boosted her into the saddle, Sonya asked, "My – I mean, Logan – isn't thinking of quitting the X Men, is he?"

Rogue hopped up onto her horse's back, and steered it until she was beside Sonya.

"I don't know. But I could understand if he did," she replied honestly. "He doesn't want to leave you, and if he stays, that is a very real possibility."

Sonya's eyes filled with tears, and she wailed, "But he can't! He was the one who found me – what about all the other people who need him? Who'll help them?"

Rogue shook her head sadly. "I don't know. Maybe ya'll should talk about it when you get the chance." Then, she nudged Sonya with her elbow and said, "C'mon. Let's take that ride."

Sonya started her horse forward at a trot, toward the bridle trail. Rogue followed behind her, wondering how Sonya could be so different from Logan in so many ways, yet seem to be his spitting image in others.

"Stubbornness definitely runs in the family," Rogue mumbled to herself.

As they rode down the path, they talked softly about anything that came to mind. Rogue told Sonya about the first and last time she'd gone in to wake Logan from a nightmare, and Sonya nodded in understanding.

"I was scared that he'd do something like that when I went up there a few days ago. But I was more scared of being alone, I guess."

"I hear ya," Rogue replied. Suddenly, she heard a branch snap nearby, and pulled her horse to a stop.

"What's wrong?" Sonya asked, reining in her horse as well.

"Shh." Rogue's eyes darted around the thick trees, trying to catch any sign of movement. A lone bird flew up from the ground, into the canopy above them, but then all was still again. She was about to tell Sonya to start moving ahead, when she caught a glimpse of black clothing dart across the path in front of her. Her mouth set in a firm line, she motioned for Sonya to stay quiet, then called out to the figure she'd seen.

"John!"

As the echo died away, the bushes beside the path rustled, and Pyro stepped out into the middle of the trail.

"That's not my name anymore, Rogue," he called back, flicking his favorite Zippo lighter open and closed.

"What're you doing here?" She nudged her horse forward a few steps, glaring angrily down at the young man.

He chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Whatever you think of me, I came here to warn you."

"Warn me about what?"

"The Brotherhood. They've sent someone for her," he raised his chin in Sonya's direction.

Rogue scoffed. "And why should I believe you? You're one of them."

Pyro angrily snapped the lighter shut and walked closer to her. She could see the fire in his eyes, but he didn't scare her. She only had to touch him to bring him to his knees – heck, she'd done it before.

"Maybe I am," he growled. "But even I have limits." The smile returned to his face. "Now, turn those ponies around and get to the house before they do."

"Come on, Rogue," Sonya said, already turning her horse around.

"Smart girl," Pyro noted, and Rogue felt an overwhelming desire to punch him in the face. Common sense won in the end, however, and with a final glance at him, she faced her horse in the opposite direction and galloped off toward home.

Sonya reached the stables first, and hopped down off her horse. At the sound of hooves ringing off the blacktop outside, Raven walked out of the barn and spotted Sonya there, giving her horse a bucket of water.

"Hey, Sonya," she greeted with a smile.

"They're coming," Sonya replied, her horse's bridle draped over her arm.

"Who?"

"The Brotherhood."

"You saw them?" Raven asked, worried, but Sonya shook her head.

"There was a boy in the woods. He told us."

Rogue had just galloped up then, and heard Sonya's explanation. With a sneer of disgust, she added, "It was Pyro."

A pit of fear settling into her stomach, Raven stated, "We need to find Logan."

"But what about the horses?" Sonya asked.

"just put them in the paddock for now."

"I'll do it," Rogue volunteered. "You go on ahead."

With a nod, Raven took Sonya's hand and led her toward the mansion.

XXXXX

Raven had just stepped onto the porch when the door jerked open, and Logan growled, "Get in."

She rushed past him with Sonya still in tow, and said, "Rogue's still out there."

"I know." He said as he slammed the door shut.

"How?"

It was Sonya who answered, "Keen sense of smell. It's probably how he knew they were coming, too."

Logan nodded. "Take her downstairs. She'll be safer down there."

"Okay," Raven replied, but Sonya stepped forward and crossed her arms.

"No."

Logan turned around and glared at her.

"Sonya, please," he began, but she shook her head.

"I'm staying with you."

He looked at Raven, who merely shrugged. Great, he thought, she picks now to stay out of it.

"Fine," he gave in with a sigh, "but stay behind me."

He saw Rogue running toward the house then, and pulled the door open again. When she was safely inside, he asked, "How many?"

"Just two, I think. But they're strong."

"Anyone we know?"

She shook her head.

"Weapons?"

Another shake of her long brown hair. "Just their powers. And one of them is big."

"How big?" He asked.

"Like, Andre the Giant big."

"Who?"

Raven laughed. "Never mind, Logan. She means big like a pro-wrestler."

"Oh. Okay," he nodded in understanding, then said, "Go get Peter and Storm."

"You got it," Rogue replied, and ran off down the hall.

Logan turned next to Raven. "You got any weapons?"

"Not in the conventional sense of the word," she replied with a shrug.

"What?!"

"For the sake of time and sanity, let's just go with 'no'."

"All right." He frowned, and the wrinkles in his forehead returned. "Then just stay down, okay?"

"Fine with me."

The same instant that Rogue returned with Storm and Peter, the front door exploded out of its hinges, flying toward the side of the porch.

"Knock, knock!" A gruff voice called out. Though Logan's claws instantly appeared, it was the only motion he made.

Two men appeared in the doorway, gazing around at the rich interior of the house. When they saw the six people who stood inside, they both grinned.

"See, I told ya," the bigger man said to the shorter, thinner one, nudging him with an elbow.

"Hey, Bub," Logan snarled. "Anyone tell you it's rude to show up without calling first?"

Tall Man laughed. "Big words from the 'Wolverine'. Sorry, pal, but I got orders."

"Yeah? From who, Barnum and Bailey?"

Raven snickered, and the man stared at her. "So, you've turned traitor, eh? I told them you would, but they never listen."

"Obviously not," Logan replied, recalling his warning to the doctor.

"Just hand over the girl, and we'll be outta here," the shorter man said.

Logan smiled without humor. "Oh, you'll leave. But not with my daughter."

"Like my associate said, we have orders."

"Then, by all means, try your best," Raven replied, her voice low.

At first, no one moved. The two intruders simply glared at the others, and Logan knew exactly what they were up to – they were calculating their attack. Only problem was, Logan didn't know what powers they had, so he had no way to stop them.

The "Wrestler" took a running leap at Logan, who barely had time to dodge the man's club-like fist. It hit the wall instead, smashing a huge hold in the plaster, where it got stuck. Logan seized the opportunity, and stabbed all six claws into the man's side, causing the man to howl in agony. With a sudden angry growl, the man yanked his hand out of the wall and sent a shower of plaster bits around the room, then grabbed Logan by the throat and lifted him off his feet.

Meanwhile, the other man began to mentally pull the pictures from the walls and fling them at Raven and the others. Peter blocked them easily, simply by turning into his metal form, while Storm caused a brisk wind that blew them away from her. Rogue managed to duck into a side hall, waiting for the man to be distracted with what he was doing. When she saw the right moment, she ran around behind him and grabbed both sides of his head with her bare hands.

The items flying around the room immediately dropped to the floor, as the telekinetic let out a strangled cry.

When the burly man heard his partner's cry, he tossed Logan away from him and started for Rogue. Knowing what was about to happen, Raven suddenly let out a loud, trilling whistle, then rushed to check on Logan, who was just coming back to consciousness. Sonya ran over and dropped to her knees beside him as well, clutching his hand in both of hers.

Just as the burly man reached Rogue and grabbed her around the waist, a strange whooshing sound filled the air outside the doorway, and a strong gust of wind blew inside the mansion.

"Rogue, cover your face!" Raven shouted to her, and Rogue pulled her arms around her head, unsure of what was happening.

Instantly, an entire flock of crows flew into the mansion and began attacking the burly man. His huge frame was completely engulfed by a swirling mass of black feathers, and his screams were nearly indiscernible from the birds' frenzied cawing. He released Rogue, who dropped to her hands and knees and crawled toward Raven and Sonya. The man staggered outside, still circled by the birds, and then ran toward the woods.

When the sound of the birds died away, everyone stood up and brushed themselves off, then moved to stand around the telekinetic, who still lay convulsing on the polished wood floor.

"What do we do with him?" Raven asked, stooping to pick up a single black feather from the floor. She carefully tucked it into her pocket as Logan answered her.

"I say we send him back to the good doctor, minus an arm or leg."

"I second that," Sonya agreed, and Logan turned around to look at her.

"Adult conversation, Sonya."

She merely shrugged, and he turned back to the rest of the group.

"So?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Storm spoke up then. "Peter and I will take the jet and drop him off somewhere far away from here. Whatever happens after that is not our concern."

Logan considered it, then nodded. "All right. We'll clean up here while you're gone."

Storm smiled at him. "Don't forget to check in on Bobby."

"No problem," Rogue replied, and Logan chuckled.

"Okay, then. Peter, will you carry him outside while I get the jet?" Storm asked.

"You bet," Peter replied, already stooping to lift the man in his muscular arms.

When they stepped out through what used to be the front door, Logan turned to Rogue and Raven.

"We gotta lot of work to do. Let's get started."

XXXXX

"So, what do I call you?"

Logan glanced across the table, where Sonya sat, stirring her chocolate ice cream into a soup-like mess.

"What?" He asked as he watched her slurp up a spoonful of her concoction.

"I mean, should I call you 'Dad', or should I just call you 'Logan'?"

"What are you comfortable with?"

She shrugged. "I dunno. Both, I guess."

He sat back and crossed his arms. "Well then, that's your answer." Then, he arched an eyebrow. "Unless, what you're really asking is whether I mind being called 'Dad'."

Sonya's cheeks reddened, and she ducked her head. "Maybe."

Logan reached across the table and took one of her hands, and she looked up. "Sonya, you can call me anything you want."

"Okay," she replied, "Dad."

They both laughed, and Raven happened to walk in right then. She was wearing the same dark clothes she'd worn the night he'd caught her in the mansion, and her hair was pulled back.

"What's so funny?" She asked.

"Ah, nothing," Logan replied. When he finally noticed what she was wearing, the smile left his face. "You're leaving?"

She nodded slowly. "I've got some things to deal with on my own."

"But you're coming back, right?" Sonya's worry showed clearly through her voice.

Raven didn't answer, instead shooting Logan a look of indecision.

"Sonya, finish up your ice cream while I talk to Raven, okay?" Logan asked gently, and the girl nodded.

When Logan shut the front door, Raven set her pack down on the porch floor and explained, "Listen, Logan, I don't know how long I'm gonna be away. There's so much to clear up, and my mind is just so full of–"

"Raven." Logan stopped her with that single word. Her hands dropped helplessly to her sides, and she just stared at him. He stepped closer to her, his hands on her upper arms, and stared into her eyes. "You're sure you have to go?"

"Yes."

"Well, then. Just be careful."

Her eyes filled with tears. Inwardly, a part of her had hoped that he would try to stop her, though the rest of her had known he wouldn't.

"But Sonya –" she began, but he silenced her by tightening his grip only slightly.

"Sonya will be fine. And," he added, anticipating her next question, "so will I."

She was quiet for a moment, unsure of what to do next. Then, she reached up and gently pressed her lips to his, letting her eyes slide closed, breathing in his scent one last time. Logan wrapped his arms around her waist, wishing the moment would never end. But too soon, Raven's lips pulled away, and she rested her forehead against his chin.

"I'll come back."

"I know," he replied with his usual impish smile. "You can't resist my boyish charm for long."

Raven laughed. "You wish." She slid her hands into her pockets, and felt something soft touch her fingers. She pulled out the black feather she'd found earlier, and held it up to Logan, who took it with a question in his gaze.

"Would you give that to Sonya for me?" she asked him.

"Sure."

"Give her a hug for me. And tell her I'll miss her. And say 'bye to Bobby for me, too. Tell him I'm glad he's back upstairs."

Logan nodded. "I will. But why can't you give this to Sonya yourself?"

Raven grinned in embarrassment. "I'm not very good at saying goodbye. I'd start crying, and I'm sure she'd start crying, and then I'd never leave."

"Good," Logan murmured sadly, and she nudged him.

"But I have to. As much as I hate it." She touched his cheek with the back of her hand, both loving and hating the stubble that prickled against her skin. "But like I said, I promise I'll be back. You promise me something, okay?"

"What's that?"

"Try not to piss anyone else off while I'm gone."

Logan let out a laugh, then wrapped his arms around her and kissed her again. When he released her, he replied, "Same goes for you, Sugar."

"Sounds good." Raven picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder. "Well, goodbye, Logan."

"Bye, Raven."

She turned and walked down the porch steps. He followed a few steps behind her, then stopped on the lawn as she continued down the gravel driveway. When she got to the end of the long path, she found herself at the main road. She turned back to wave one last time, but Logan was already gone.

With sadness knotting itself in the back of her throat, she stepped through the mansion's gates, then just kept walking.

THE END


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